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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project TOC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ABBREVIATION ........................................................................................................ vii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... ES-1
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................1-1
1.1 RATIONALE ..............................................................................................................1-1
1.2 AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT .............................................................................1-1
1.3 NEED FOR PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW
FRAMEWORK (EARF) DOCUMENT ...........................................................................1-2
1.4 SCOPE OF SERVICES AND APPROACH TO CARRY OUT THE STUDY ..................1-2
1.4.1 Specific Tasks for the Study Team ....................................................................1-3
1.5 THE STUDY TEAM ......................................................................................................1-4
1.6 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT..................................................................................1-5
CHAPTER 2: POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK ...............................2-1
2.1 GENERAL ..............................................................................................................2-1
2.2 NATIONAL POLICY AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK .....................................2-1
2.2.1 Overview ...........................................................................................................2-1
2.2.2 National Environment Policy, 2005 ...................................................................2-2
2.2.3 National Forest Policy Pakistan, 2001 ...............................................................2-2
2.2.4 Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 ...................................................2-3
2.2.5 Regulations for Environmental Assessment ......................................................2-3
2.2.6 Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency Review of IEE/EIA
Regulations 2000 ..............................................................................................2-4
2.2.7 18th Constitutional Amendment .........................................................................2-4
2.3 GUIDELINES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ..............................................2-5
2.3.1 Guidelines for the Preparation and Review of Environmental Reports .............2-5
2.3.2 Guidelines for Public Consultation ...................................................................2-6
2.4 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY STANDARDS, 2000 (NEQS, 2000) ............2-6
2.5 NATIONAL RESETTLEMENT POLICY AND ORDINANCE .........................................2-7
2.6 OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL - RELATED STATUTES .................................................2-7
2.6.1 The Land Acquisition Act 1894..........................................................................2-7
2.6.2 The Telegraph Act, 1885...................................................................................2-7
2.6.3 Affected Persons Ordinance, 2001 ...................................................................2-7
2.6.4 Electricity Act, 1910 ..........................................................................................2-8
2.6.5 The West Pakistan Water and Power Act, 1958 ................................................2-8
2.6.6 The Forest Act, 1927; (and Provincial Acts and Rules) .....................................2-8
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project TOC
2.6.7 NWFP Hazara Forest Act, 1936 ........................................................................2-8
2.6.8 Provincial Wildlife Protection Acts .....................................................................2-8
2.6.9 Antiquities Act, 1975 .........................................................................................2-9
2.6.10 Provincial Local Government Ordinance, 2001 .................................................2-9
2.6.11 Regulation of Mines and Oil Fields and Mineral Development Act, 1948 ...........2-9
2.6.12 Factories Act, 1934 ...........................................................................................2-9
2.6.13 Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 ...............................................................................2-9
2.6.14 Explosives Act, 1884.........................................................................................2-9
2.7 INTERACTION WITH OTHER AGENCIES ................................................................2-10
2.7.1 Provincial EPAs .............................................................................................2-10
2.7.2 Forests and Wildlife Departments, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab .............2-10
2.7.3 Provincial Revenue Departments ...................................................................2-11
2.7.4 Local Government & Local Administration ......................................................2-11
2.8 WORLD BANK’ STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES ....................................................2-12
2.8.1 Environmental Assessment (OP 4.01) ............................................................2-12
2.8.2 Involuntary Resettlement (OP 4.12) ...............................................................2-13
2.8.3 Natural Habitat (OP 4.04) ...............................................................................2-14
2.8.4 Forestry (OP 4.36) ..........................................................................................2-14
2.8.5 Environmental Action Plans (OP 4.02) ............................................................2-14
2.8.6 Projects on International Waterways (OP 7.50) ...............................................2-15
2.8.7 Physical Cultural Resources (OP 4.11) ...........................................................2-15
2.8.8 Disclosure Policy (BP 17.50) ...........................................................................2-15
2.9 OTHER PERTINENT INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS .........................................2-16
2.9.1 The Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 1979 2-16
2.9.2 The Rio Declaration, 1992 .............................................................................2-16
2.9.3 Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention), 1971 ....................................2-16
2.9.4 Convention on Biological Diversity .................................................................2-16
2.10 NTDC’s SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS .......................................................................2-17
CHAPTER 3: PROJECT DESCRIPTION.................................................................................3-1
3.1 GENERAL ..............................................................................................................3-1
3.1.1 Location of Dasu Hydropower Project ...............................................................3-1
3.1.2 Location of 500 kV Dasu-Islamabad Transmission Lines ..................................3-2
3.2 PROJECT COMPONENTS ..........................................................................................3-2
3.2.1 Power House Complex .....................................................................................3-2
3.2.2 Transmission Lines ...........................................................................................3-5
3.2.2 Grid Station .......................................................................................................3-8
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3.3 DESIGN ASPECTS ......................................................................................................3-9
3.3.1 Transmission Lines ...........................................................................................3-9
3.3.2 Towers ............................................................................................................3-11
3.3.3 Safety Parameters ..........................................................................................3-14
3.3.4 Grid Station Site Selection Guidelines.............................................................3-16
3.4 CONSTRUCTION ASPECTS .....................................................................................3-17
3.4.1 Construction Schedule ....................................................................................3-17
3.4.2 Construction Camps .......................................................................................3-17
3.4.3 Work Force .....................................................................................................3-17
3.4.4 Construction Procedures.................................................................................3-18
3.5 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE (O&M) ................................................................3-20
3.6 ANALYSIS OF PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ...............................................................3-20
CHAPTER 4: ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL BASELINE CONDITIONS
AND THEIR ANALYSIS ...................................................................................4-1
4.1 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................4-1
4.2 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................4-1
4.2.1 Land Resources ................................................................................................4-1
4.2.2 Topography ......................................................................................................4-1
4.2.3 Geology ............................................................................................................4-2
4.2.4 Soils ..............................................................................................................4-4
4.2.5 Seismology .......................................................................................................4-5
4.2.6 Climate .............................................................................................................4-7
4.2.7 Ambient Air Quality and Noise Levels .............................................................4-12
4.2.9 Water Resources ............................................................................................4-14
4.3 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT...................................................................................4-15
4.3.1 Flora ............................................................................................................4-15
4.3.2 Wildlife and Fauna ..........................................................................................4-16
4.3.3 Protected Areas ..............................................................................................4-19
4.3.4 Wetlands .........................................................................................................4-19
4.3.5 Bird Migratory Route Number 7 (Environmental Hotspot)................................4-21
4.3.6 Palas Valley (Environmental Hotspot) .............................................................4-22
4.4 SOCIO ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................4-28
4.4.1 Population .......................................................................................................4-28
4.4.2 The HDI Index of Hazara Division ...................................................................4-29
4.4.3 Poverty and Multiple Deprivations Indices ......................................................4-30
4.4.4 Literacy and Education ...................................................................................4-31
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4.4.5 Health Coverage .............................................................................................4-31
4.4.6 Access to Road ...............................................................................................4-32
4.4.7 Electricity and Cooking /Heating Fuel..............................................................4-32
4.4.8 Poverty and Vulnerability ................................................................................4-32
4.4.9 Gender Equity and Equality ............................................................................4-33
4.4.10 Rural Economy ...............................................................................................4-33
CHAPTER 5: STAKEHOLDERS AND PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS .......................................5-1
5.1 GENERAL ..............................................................................................................5-1
5.2 OBJECTIVES OF CONSULTATION ............................................................................5-1
5.3 IDENTIFICATION OF STAKEHOLDERS .....................................................................5-2
5.4 MEETINGS WITH SELECTED STAKEHOLDERS .......................................................5-2
5.4.1 Institutional/Governmental/International and Individual .....................................5-2
5.5 PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS ........................................................................................5-6
5.5.1 Scoping Sessions and Consultative Meetings ..................................................5-7
5.5.2 Concerns/Feedback ..........................................................................................5-8
5.5.3 Manu of Benefit Sharing Options ....................................................................5-11
CHAPTER 6: POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS ...............................6-1
6.1 GENERAL ..............................................................................................................6-1
6.2 DELINEATION OF PROJECT CORRIDOR OF IMPACT (COI) ....................................6-1
6.2 IMPACT ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST ..........................................................................6-1
6.3 LAND RESOURCES AND LAND USE .........................................................................6-6
6.4 PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE .......................................................................................6-8
6.5 WATER RESOURCES .................................................................................................6-8
6.6 AMBIENT AIR QUALITY AND NOISE LEVEL ..............................................................6-9
8.7 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT.....................................................................................6-9
6.8 SOCIOECONOMIC AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT .............................................6-13
6.9 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL RISK ASSESSMENT ............................................6-16
6.10 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT.............................6-16
CHAPTER 7: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR THE MITIGATION
OF PROJECT (IMPACTS) .......................................................................................................7-1
7.1 GENERAL ..............................................................................................................7-1
7.2 INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES ....................................7-1
7.3 MONITORING AND REPORTING................................................................................7-4
7.3.1 Internal Monitoring ............................................................................................7-4
7.3.2 External Monitoring ...........................................................................................7-4
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7.3.3 Monitoring by Financing Agency .......................................................................7-4
7.4 ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES ................................................................................7-5
7.4.1 Guidelines for Design Phase .............................................................................7-5
7.4.2 Guidelines for Contractor Mobilization / Demobilization.....................................7-6
7.4.3 Guidelines for Construction Camp Establishment and Operation ......................7-7
7.4.4 Guidelines for Transportation of Equipment and Construction Materials .........7-10
7.4.5 Guidelines for Grid Station Construction .........................................................7-10
7.4.6 Guidelines for Transmission Line Construction ...............................................7-13
7.4.7 Occupational Health and Safety Guidelines ....................................................7-17
7.4.8 Guidelines for Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Activities ...........................7-17
7.5 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE AND BUDGET REQUIREMENTS FOR ESIA STUDY .......7-19
CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................8-1
8.1 CONCLUSIONS ..............................................................................................................8-1
8.2 RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................................8-2
APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Abbreviations
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
COI Corridor of Impact
EAP Environmental Action Plan
EARF Environmental Assessment and Review Framework
EHV Extra High Voltage
EIA Environmental impact assessment
EMF Electro Magnetic Field
EMF Environmental Management Framework
EMP Environmental Management Plan
ESA Environmental and Social Assessment
E&SIC Environment and Social Impact Cell
ESM Environmental and Social Monitor
EUAD Environment and Urban Affairs Division
GoP Government of Pakistan
GRM Grievance Redressal Mechanism
GS Grid Station
GSP Geological Survey of Pakistan
HDI Human Development Index
HPP Hydro Power Project
IMD Index of Multiple Deprivations
IEE Initial environmental examinations
IESCO Islamabad Electric Supply Company
IPPs Independent Power Producers
IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature
kV kilo Volt
Km Kilo meter
KPK Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
LAA Land Acquisition Act
MKT Main Karakoram Thrust
mm millimeter
MW Mega Watt
NCS National Conservation Strategy
NEQS National Environment Quality Standards
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Abbreviations
NGOs Not Governmental Organizations
NTDC National Transmission and Despatch Company
NOC No Objection Certificate
O&M Operation and Maintenance
OP Operational Policy
PAI Project Area of Influence
PAPs Project Affected Persons
Pak-EPA Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency
PATA Provincial Administrated Tribal Area
PESCO Peshawar Electric Supply Company
PEPC Pakistan Environmental Protection Council
Provincial EPAs Provincial Environmental Protection Agencies
PCDP Palas Conservation and Development Project
PPTA Project Preparation and Technical Assistance
PCR Project Completion Report
PMU Project Management Unit
PS Power Station
QPR Quarterly Progress Report
RP Resettlement Plan
RPF Resettlement Policy Framework
RNR Renewable Natural Resources
RoW Right of Way
TL Transmission Line
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
WAPDA Water and Power Development Authority
WB World Bank
WHO World Health Organization
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project E.S
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. INTRODUCTION
The Power Generation Capacity of Pakistan is 19,855 MW including all resources like hydal,
thermal and IPPs. The contribution of power generation through hydel, thermal and IPPs is
6461 MW, 4811 MW and 6365 MW respectively. The power generated from Thermal and IPPs
sources is costly and the government as well as public cannot afford the high prices of
electricity. Therefore, to generate cheap electricity, the WAPDA is endeavoring to explore the
hydropower resources. In this regard, WAPDA is working on various hydropower projects
including Diamer Bhasha Dam, Kurram Tangi Dam, Munda Dam, Kohala Dam, Golen-Gol
Hydropower, Dasu Hydropower, Bunji Hydropower, Neelum Jhelum Hydropower, Palas
Hydropower and Spatgah Hydropower projects. The National Grid for power transmission
consists of a large network of High Voltage and Extra High Voltage (HV & EHV)
transmission lines and grid stations. Power is supplied in an integrated manner by a
network of hydropower and thermal power plants located up and down in the country.
National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) is responsible for the
construction, maintenance and operation of transmission lines and grid stations of 220
kV and above.
The Dasu Hydropower Project (Dasu HPP) is designed to generate 4320 MW electricity. The
World Bank has recently shown its interest to finance the Dasu HPP as well as dispersal of
power from Dasu to national grid system of Pakistan. This power dispersal from Dasu HPP will
be carried out by construction of two parallel running 500 kV Transmission Lines from Dasu
Power Station to 500 kV Grid Station at Pathar Garh (Hassan Abdal, District Attock). The 500
kV Transmission Lines will extend over a distance of about 250 km and route will traverse five
districts of KPK including Kohistan, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur before
connecting the proposed Grid Station near Village Pathar Garh, in Attock district of Punjab
Province.
As the design of the project component on transmission line is at initial stages of preparation,
and no tower spotting or detailed engineering designs have so far been done therefore the
project prepared an Environmental Assessment Review Framework (EARF), which highlights
the potential environmental and social impacts and institutional arrangements to implement the
project. More detailing of the environmental resources in relation to the exact alignment of the
transmission line will be carried out in the follow-up environmental and social impact
assessment study commensurate with the detailed design stage of this component. This study
will also look into more details on the alternative of analysis particularly from the siting options,
access roads, design of towers, construction technologies, etc. NTDC will also prepare
environmental management and mitigation plan which will be embedded into the bidding
documents for the construction of transmission line.
2. POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK
The project will comply with all the national legislation relating to the environment in Pakistan,
all the applicable World Bank environment and social guidelines and other international
protocols and obligations. The national legislation relating to the environment in Pakistan in
order to obtain the required regulatory clearances is as under:
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 The national environmental policy 2005 aims to protect, conserve and restore Pakistan’s
environment in order to improve quality of life of the citizens through sustainable
development.
 Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997, which empowers the Pak-EPA to delegate
powers to the Provincial EPAs, identifies categories of projects to which the IEE/EIA
provisions will apply, develop guidelines for conducting IEE and EIAs and procedures for
their submission, review and approval, develop environmental emission standards for
parameters such as air, water and noise, etc.
 The National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS), 2000 specify the maximum
allowable concentrations of pollutants in municipal and liquid industrial effluents, maximum
allowable concentration of pollutants in gaseous emissions from industrial sources, etc.
 The National Resettlement Policy and Ordinance, which handles the resettlement and
compensation issues, related to the project implementation is still in Draft Form and not
considered for the proposed project.
 The other provincial and departmental applicable laws and regulations include; the
Telegraphy Act 1885, Provincial Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and
Management) Acts, Ordinances and Rules (Act, 1972), Electricity Act 1910, Antiquities Act
1975, Factories Act 1934, Pakistan Pena Code 1860, Provincial Local Government
Ordinances, 2001, etc.
The Project has also to comply with the applicable World Bank Guidelines, which control the
environmental and social issues related with the project implementation. The major operational
policies and operational directives related to the Project include Operational Policies (OP) 4.01,
which identify the general policy of the World Bank about the Environmental Assessment,
Operational Policies (OP) 4.11, which deal with the Bank’s policy on Physical
CulturalResources, and OP/BP 4.12, which sets policies relating to the involuntary resettlement
of population disrupted by the project.
3. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
The Dasu Hydropower Project (Dasu HPP) is designed to generate 4320 MW electricity. Dasu
HPP complex including Power Station will be constructed and owned by the Water Wing of
WAPDA. The NTDC will be responsible for dispersal of power from Dasu Power Station to 500
kV Grid Station by constructing two 500 kV transmission lines. Hence, this EARF (including
baseline and impact assessment) has been prepared only for Transmission Lines and Grid
Station. A detailed Environmental and Social Assessment for the dam and ancillary works and
KKH has been prepared separately by WAPDA.
The Dasu Hydropower Project will be constructed on the Indus River in Kohistan District of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. It is a run-off-the river Project with the dam axis about 7 km
upstream of Dasu Town, the administrative headquarter of Kohistan District. There will be 242
m high concrete gravity dam and 73 km long reservoir behind the dam. The reservoir will have
average width of 365 m and at full supply level elevation 950m, an area of about 23.85 km 2. The
catchment area will be 158,800km2. The average discharge at dam site is 2,068 m3/sec. The
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project will have an underground powerhouse housing 12 turbines, each of which will produce
360 MW power, and a total maximum capacity to produce 4320 MW.
This power dispersal from Dasu HPP will be carried out by construction of two parallel running
500 kV Transmission Lines from Dasu Power Station to 500 kV Grid Station at Pathar Garh
(Hassan Abdal, District Attock). The 500 kV Transmission Lines will extend over a distance of
about 250 km and route will traverse five districts of KPK including Kohistan, Battagram,
Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur before connecting the proposed Grid Station near Village
Pathar Garh, in Attock district of Punjab Province.
The analysis of alternatives systematically compares feasible alternatives to the proposed
project site, technology, design, and operation including, the “without project” situation in terms
of their potential environmental impacts; the feasibility of mitigating these impacts; their capital
and recurrent costs; their suitability under local conditions; and their institutional, training, and
monitoring requirements. The ESIA would include the analysis of alternatives based on
considerations; (a) No Project Alternatives (b) Siting Alternatives (c) Technical Alternatives (d)
Environmental and Social Considerations and (e) Construction methodology options
4. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL BASELINE CONDITIONS AND THEIR ANALYSIS
The physical, biological and social environment was observed within a strip of 500 m wide and
250 km long. The physical, biological and social environments of the project area are as under:
Physical Environment
Land resources and Topography: The area for transmission line comprises Guzara forests,
Protected Forests, privately owned barani and irrigated agriculture land and barren mountains.
The general configuration of land is mountainous with precipitous to gentle slopes. The
individual geomorphic forms of the region include natural rock slopes, scree, debris covered
slopes, debris-flow fans, alluvial fans and river terraces and some plain areas.
Geology: The geology of project area varies considerably, as the transmission line passes
through various geological regions. The rocks of Dasu, Pattan, and Allai are of Cretaceous age.
The rocks of the palas valley belong to Ultra mafic Patan complex of Metaplutonic origin and
garnet granulite of jijal complex. The geology of the Bhattagram and Chhapargram area mainly
comprises granitic gneiss, schist and alluvium (unconsolidated material). The geological
features of Oogi, Sherwan and Haripur may be described as a section of Earth’s Crust coming
well within the area of Himalayan disturbance.
Seismology: In general, the project area lies in seismically active area. The active faults in the
vicinity of project area include; Main Mantle Thrust (MMT), Kohistan Fault, Kamila Strike Strip
Fault and Jamila Shear Fault.
Climate: The Project area falls in very cold, humid climatic zone of Pakistan and is characterized
by large seasonal variation. The climate in this region is mainly determined by the altitude and
precipitation in the form of rain and snowfall in some areas. The project area is influenced by
two rainy seasons: (i) south-eastern monsoon during summer: and (ii) western winds during
winter. The lower altitudes generally experience humid to sub-humid sub-tropical conditions, the
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higher altitudes experience temperate conditions.
Water Resources: The major surface water sources in the Project area include River Indus
(Dasu to Pattan), Tarbella Lake (near Khalabatt Township, Haripur) and River Siran. The other
resources are nullahs or Khawars and fresh water springs/ waterfalls.
The ground water is almost unavailable from Dasu to Bhattagram. While in lower areas viz.,
Abbottabad, Mansehra, Harripur and Hassanabdal, the ground water is available at the depth
varying from 100 ft to 140 ft.
Biological Environment
The whole project area (i.e. from Dasu to Hassan Abdal) is rich in all types of vegetation
including wood trees, fruit trees, herbs and shrubs. From Dasu to Pattan, the mountain tops are
almost empty, while the vegetation is present in valleys along the river. In Pallas Valley, Allai,
Bhattagram, Abbottabad and Mansehra regions, the mountains tops and valleys are lush green.
The hills are covered with forests of broad leaf and pine trees in accordance with the altitude.
Fruit trees are also present and generally found in the courtyards of the farming communities.
Major wood tree species existing along the Project corridor include; Chir (Pinus roxburghii), Kail
(Pinus wallichiana), Deodar (Cedrus deodara), Oak (Quercus baloot), Olive (Olea cuspidate),
Phulai (Acacia modesta), Gurgura (Monotheca buxifolia), Kahu (Olea cuspidate), Sufaida
(Eucalyptus spp.), Kikar (Acacia nilotica), Phulai (Acacia modesta), Poplar (Populus ciliata),
Batangi (Pyrus pachia), Willow (Salix spp.), Ailanthus (Ailanthus altissima), Shisham (Dalbergia
sisso), Beri (Zyziphus jajuba), Bakain (Melea azedarie) and Toot (Morus alba). Among fruit
trees; Walnut (Juglans regia), Amlok (Diospyros lotus), Bird Cherry (Prunus padus),
Pomegranate (Punica granatum), Apple (Malus domestica), Pear (Mangifera indica), Peach
(Prunus persica) and Citrus fruits can be seen along the project corridor.
The whole tract inhabits a variety of wildlife and fauna; mammals, reptiles and birds make the
area rich and colorful in natural fauna.
There is no protected area in the project corridor. But, Palas Valley and International Migratory
Bird Route Number 7 (Indus Flyway) exist in the COI of the project and are identified as
Environmental Hotspots. The other major sites requiring special consideration are wetlands,
Indus River and Tarbella Lake, falling in the vicinity of project corridor. Some specific details on
the Palas valley and Indus Flyway are given below.
Palas Valley
The Palas valley supports about 1,000 Western Tragopan (Tragopan melanocepahalus - IUCN
vulnerable), important pheasant in the Himalayan region. The Palas Valley also supports
populations of at least 7 other species of rare bird species, including Phylloscopus tytleri is
classed as near vulnerable and the remaining are restricted range. The Palas Valley It is listed
by Birdlife International as the most important site for bird conservation in this bio-geographical
zone.
Populations of most of the mammals found in the Western Himalayas are also found in Palas.
These include Brown and Black Bears, Himalayan Ibex, Markhor, Snow Leopards, Wolves etc.
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Inventories now being undertaken of smaller mammals and especially bats. These are revealing
the presence of significant populations of other scarce species. One unique feature of the Palas
Valley is that its isolation with the rest of the world made in to a relatively pristine condition.
Total area of the Palas valley is 1,400 km2 with elevations ranging 700 m to 5,200 m. Both the
winter and summer ranges of much of the wildlife are included within the valley.
The ESIA studies will analyze possibility of TL avoiding Palas valley to the extent possible or
use the corridor through the valley, which has relatively poor environmental resources.
Indus Flyway:
The Indus flyway is a famous route for migratory birds from Siberia to various destinations in
Pakistan over Karakorum, Hindu Kush, and Suleiman Ranges along Indus River down to the
delta. This flyway of waterfowl and migratory birds constitutes a famous corridor of international
importance, the so-called “Indus Flyway” or “International Green Route” or “International
Migratory Bird Route Number 7”. According to some estimates, 700,000 to 1,200,000 birds
arrive in Pakistan through Indus Flyway every year. The southward migration begins in
November, and the northward migration starts in March.
These periods may vary depending upon weather conditions in Siberia and/or Pakistan. The
route offers plenty of food and a mild and hospitable climate to the birds. The Indus valley and
more particularly the wetlands of southern Sindh are the major wintering grounds of migratory
waterfowl. Key species using the flyway include cranes, teals, pintails, mallards, gadwalls,
White-headed Duck, Houbara Bustard and Siberian Crane. The 100 km long Tarbela Reservoir
is known as a staging ground for migrating birds; the creation of the large and permanent Dasu
reservoir will further enhance the habitat availability for wintering and for resting of migratory
birds. Some species will favor the deep areas while some will refuge on the new shoreline of the
reservoir as noticed in other dam projects and reservoirs of Pakistan and elsewhere in Asia.
However, due to the absence of feeding grounds in the vicinity of the Dasu project there will be
hardly any winter migrants resting longer than one day in the project area. It is also
recommended that in parallel to ESIA study, the project also undertakes Avian Risk Assessment
study.
Socioeconomic Environment
Around 95 percent of the entire transmission line will be constructed in the 5 districts of Hazara
division of KPK province of Pakistan. The total area of the division is over 17084 square
kilometer houses a total of 3.53 million population of which only 8.8% is urban (in 3 districts -
Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra) while in the remaining 91.2 percent is rural. District
Battagram and Kohistan with 52% of the total area (8794 sq.km) have not a single settlement to
be called as urban. The overall population density in the entire region is 271 persons per sq.km
ranging from the highest 448 persons in Abbottabad to the lowest 66 persons in Kohistan. The
average household size in the entire division is around 6.5 persons.
The estimated Human Development Index (HDI) of Hazara division is 0.564 which is ranked
between medium to low. The overall level of multiple deprivations against 18 indicators in
Hazara division is 42.6 percent.
The overall literacy in 5 districts of Hazara division is (35.2%) is far lower than the national
average 57%. The literacy ratio is highest in Abbottabad and Haripur districts 56.6% and 53.7%
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respectively. The literacy ratio in other three districts presents a dismal picture with 36.3% in
Mansehra, 18.3 % in Battagram and only 11.2% in Kohistan District.
Although the number of health related public and private sector infrastructure significantly
increased in the post-earthquake reconstruction phase (2006--2008), that helped in improving
the IMD at around 44%. But the services level in the entire region is still devoid of health care
staff and medicines.
Poverty is prevalent in the entire COI districts and assuming menacing proportions with the
passage of time. Poverty in this context perpetuates due to ongoing political instability, uneven
distribution of resources, poor human resource development and polarization of power and
resources in the hands of a small percentage of population.
5. STAKEHOLDERS AND PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS
In accordance with EPA and World Bank guidelines, the consultation process was carried out to
share the information with the stakeholders/public on the proposed works and the expected
impacts on the physical, biological and especially socio-economic conditions of the project
corridor.
Major stakeholders included EPA department, forest department, wildlife department, NGOs,
PAPs, general residents of the project corridor, farmers, and national and international agencies
working on environment. At 21 locations, stakeholders/public consultations were conducted
throughout the project corridor. The major concerns/issues raised by the stakeholders were
regarding loss of agriculture land, crops, trees, etc. and their compensation process; to ensure
accessibility of the field activities by community especially women; conflicts due to the uses of
common resources by the contractor during the construction activities and during compensation
for losses. All the concerns/issues have been taken care of and addressed accordingly in the
respective chapters of the report.
6. POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS
Due to absence of final design and tower markings at site, project corridor of impact has been
taken as 500 m wide, 250 km long strip for Transmission Lines, and an area of about 100 acres
for 500 kV Grid Station, which have been used for the environmental/social baseline information
and impacts assessment. From this corridor, two parallel running 500 kV transmission lines will
pass and there could be direct impact on the environment like relocation of physical
infrastructure (if any), clearing of vegetation, loss of crops, etc. and indirect impacts of the
project activities are envisaged like existence of forests, wildlife habitats, wetlands, etc. The
major impacts on physical, biological and social environments are described as under:
Land Resources: No permanent acquisition of land will be involved for transmission lines, while
for grid station, it will be acquired. The temporary acquisition of land for the construction
activities including the establishment of the contractor facilities will be involved. The other
impacts on the land resources will include crop losses, soil erosion and contamination during
the construction activities.
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Infrastructure: the field investigations reveal that existing infrastructure like highways (N-35, N-
5), motorway (M-1), Indus River, Peshawar – Islamabad Railway Track, existing transmission
lines, etc., will have to be crossed for construction of transmission lines. But not impact on these
infrastructures is envisaged.
Water Resources: The major impacts envisaged on the water resources include use of local
water supplies, contamination of surface and groundwater and siltation of streams/nullahs.
Ambient air quality and noise Levels: During construction stage, the ambient air quality will be
impaired and noise levels will be high.
Biological Resources: No protected area exists in the COI but environmentally sensitive sites
like Palas Valley (The only Un-Touch Forests of Pakistan) and Bird Flyway Number 7 are
present along the Project area. Besides these, the wetlands (Indus River and Tarbella Lake)
also exist in COI, all these sites required special considerations in the Environmental and Social
Impact Assessment Study.
Social and Cultural Environment: The major social impacts will include accessibility to farm
fields, restriction on women’s field activities, disturbance to the privacy of local community
particularly women, security of public as well as workers. Further relocation of structures (if any)
will be required. No cultural and historical site exists in the whole project corridor.
Environmental and Social Risk Assessment: An effort has also been made to assess the
environmental and social risks during the construction as well as operation stages. In this
context, the team has proposed a study on Avian Risk Assessment which will be undertaken in
parallel to ESIA for the transmission lines.
Environmental and Social Benefits of the Project: Along with negative impacts of the Project,
some major expected positive impacts have also been identified including availability of
electricity as per demand, better life quality of the residents of project corridor, earning
resources, installation of industry and other linked benefits.
7. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR THE MITIGATION OF
PROJECT (IMPACTS)
The Environmental Management Framework provides generic guidelines to be followed while
implementing various project activities, in order to keep the project environmentally and socially
sound. The existing Project Management Unit (PMU) will assume primary responsibility for the
environmental assessment as well as implementation of EMPs for their respective components
by PIUs. The environmental and social impact cell (E&SIC), NTDC will take care of
environment, resettlement, and any other environmental and social development obligations
and issues established at the PMU.
The internal monitoring will be done by the supervisory consultants and supervised by E&SIC,
while external monitoring will be carried out by hiring an external monitor. The monitoring
reports will be submitted to the World Bank on quarterly basis. The World Bank will conduct
review missions and will assess the environmental compliance.
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The guidelines for environmental management are integral part of environmental management
framework. These are briefly described in the pertinent chapter of the report.
8. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the available preliminary plans, field surveys and assessment of the impacts, it may
be concluded that the Project has insignificant negative environmental and social impacts on
the existingenvironmental resource base in the project corridor, except the existing of
environmentally sensitive sites like Palas Valley Forests, Indus Birds Flyway Number 7 and
Wetlands (Indus River and Tarbella Lake) in the COI Area. These sites require special
considerations in the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Study of the Project.
However, as the project is at planning stage and the detailed survey and design have yet to be
carried out by NTDC and the assessment of losses is based on a preliminary design. So it is
imperative that the assessment of losses should be done when the demarcation of the towers at
site is made available. For this purpose, as per requirements of IFIs and Government of
Pakistan, a Land Acquisition Resettlement Framework has also been prepared.
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 RATIONALE
The Power Generation Capacity of Pakistan is 19,855 MW including all resources
like hydal, thermal and IPPs. The contribution of power generation through hydel,
thermal and IPPs is 6461 MW, 4811 MW and 6365 MW respectively. The power
generated from Thermal and IPPs sources is costly and the government as well as
public cannot afford the high prices of electricity. Therefore, to generate cheap
electricity, the WAPDA is endeavoring to explore the hydropower resources. In this
regard, WAPDA is working on various hydropower projects including Diamer Bhasha
Dam, Kurram Tangi Dam, Munda Dam, Kohala Dam, Golen-Gol Hydropower, Dasu
Hydropower, Bunji Hydropower, Neelum Jhelum Hydropower, Palas Hydropower and
Spatgah Hydropower projects. For dispersal of power from these hydropower projects,
which are mostly located in northern part of the country, large and extensive power
transmission network consisting of 500 kV, 220 kV transmission lines and grid stations
will be required. All the power plants in WAPDA’s power system are operated in an
integrated manner to supply power to the National Grid consisting of a large network of
High Voltage and Extra High Voltage (HV & EHV) transmission lines and grid stations.
National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) is responsible for construction,
maintenance and operation of transmission lines and grid stations of 220 kV and above.
1.2 AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT
The Dasu Hydropower Project (Dasu HPP) is designed to generate 4320 MW electricity.
The World Bank has recently shown its interest to finance the Dasu HPP as well as
dispersal of power from Dasu to national grid system of Pakistan. This power dispersal
from Dasu HPP will be carried out by construction of two parallel running 500 kV
Transmission Lines from Dasu Power Station to 500 kV Grid Station at Pathar Garh
(Tehsil Hassan Abdal, District Attock). The 500 kV Transmission Lines will extend over
a distance of about 250 km and route will traverse five districts of KPK including
Kohistan, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur before connecting the
proposed Grid Station near Village Pathar Garh, in Attock district of Punjab Province.
The Ministry of Water & Power, Government of Pakistan will be the implementation
agency for this project. The Ministry of Water & Power, Government of Pakistan in order
to ensure the compliance of environmental and social safeguards, is undertaking series
of measures at various levels including this initial assessment of environmental and
social impacts and compilation of environmental and social impact assessment
frameworks.
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Due to the absence of final design and tower markings at site, project corridor of impact
has been taken as 500 m, which have been used for the environmental/social baseline
information and impacts assessment. From this corridor, two parallel running 500 kv
transmission lines will pass and there could be direct impact on the environment like
relocation of physical infrastructure (if any), clearing of vegetation, loss of crops, etc.
and indirect impacts of the project activities are envisaged like existence of forests,
wildlife habitats, wetlands, etc. While, for 500 kV grid station, an area of about 100 acres
barren land privately owned by the residents of Village Pathar Garh, Tehsil Hassan
Abdal, District Attock.
1.3 NEED FOR PREPARATION OF ENVIRONEMNTAL ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW
FRAMEWORK (EARF) DOCUMENT
The development projects bring about changes, both positive and negative, in the
environmental and social settings of the project area. The intensity and level of change,
however, depends upon the nature of the project and the baseline environmental
conditions of the area. For the last four decades this aspect has gained a momentum
both at official and public level. As a result of this, official regulations and laws have
been promulgated for the protection and conservation of the physical, biological and
social environment. The law makes it mandatory to carry out environmental assessment
studies before commencement of construction activities of any project.
As the design of the project component on transmission line is at initial stages, and no
tower spotting or detailed engineering designs have so far been done therefore the
project prepared an Environmental Assessment Review Framework (EARF), which
highlights the potential environmental and social impacts and institutional arrangements
to implement the project. More detailing of the environmental assets in relation to the
exact alignment of the transmission line will be carried out in the follow-up
environmental and social impact assessment study commensurate with the detailed
design stage of this component. This study will also look into more details on the
alternative of analysis particularly from the siting options, access roads, design of
towers, construction technologies, etc. NTDC will also prepare environmental
management and mitigation plan which will be embedded into the bidding documents
for the construction of transmission line.
1.4 SCOPE OF SERVICES AND APPROACH TO CARRY OUT THE STUDY
The Terms of references stipulated following major objectives of this study i.e.
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a. Identify adverse environmental and social impacts associated with various
project components viz., power station, grid station and transmission lines.
b. Describe baseline environmental and social conditions of the whole project
corridor.
c. Describe the governing national laws & regulatory framework on
environment and World Bank’s relevant safeguard’s policies as well as
institutional arrangements.
1.4.1 Specific Tasks for the Study Team
To achieve the above mentioned objectives the NTDC Team carried out the following
activities:
a. Review the Project Details
i. Review the proposed project and its geographic, ecological, environmental,
social, and temporal context, including any offsite investments that may be
required.
ii. Identify need for detailed environmental assessment studies.
iii. Define the Impact Area and the “Corridor of Influence” of the project on the
basis of the project scope and extent.
b. Review of the Legislative and Regulatory Framework
a) Review the policy, legal, and administrative framework within which this study
and future studies will be carried out.
b) Review the national and World Bank/IFIs environmental and social safeguard
requirements of the project.
c) Indicate relevant international environmental and social safeguards related
agreements to which the country is a party.
d) Specifically review the World Bank OPs and their triggering status for the
Project.
c. Scoping
Scoping is the first step of the environmental and social assessment studies and is
essentially the process of identifying the significant issues relating to the proposed
action and of determining the scope of the issues to be addressed in the report. The key
tasks include:
a. Carry out reconnaissance field visit(s);
b. Hold initial stakeholder consultations;
c. Prepare work plan for the subsequent tasks; and
d. Prepare the Scoping Statement compiling the process and outcome of the
scoping tasks described above.
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e. Review the definition of Area of Impact and the Corridor of Influence and
revise (if necessary).
d. Baselines Studies
All the available literature and secondary resources were explored. Various site visits
were conducted and consulted all the line departments to establish the baseline
conditions in terms of physical, biological environment and socio-economic conditions in
the project area.
e. Public/Stakeholders’ Consultations
Public consultations at certain intervals of the project corridor to;
 Identify project stakeholders and hold consultations with them to delineate
the appropriate boundaries of the environmental and social assessment
 Screen potential adverse environmental and social issues.
 Receive feedback on the expected environmental and social issues related
to the project impact.
 The stakeholders included the primary stakeholder (those directly affected by
the intervention) and secondary stakeholders (those indirectly affected and
those who have an interest in the project).
f. Identification of Environmental and Social Impacts of the Project
The major objective of the study was to identify the potential environmental and social
impacts of the proposed project.
 These impacts may relate to the project design stage, construction stage
and/or the project operation and decommissioning stage.
 Based on impact prediction methods and result of public consultations, the
screening of adverse environmental and social impacts for inclusion in
mitigation measures and environmental management plan.
 Identification of existence of any environmentally sensitive site (Protected
areas, archaeological site, etc.) in the project corridor.
1.5 THE STUDY TEAM
The following team members participated in the preparation of the document.
Name Designation / Position
Environmental and Social Team
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Safeguards Specialist, PMC Consultant (Team
Rana Muhammad Sarwar
Leader)
Manager Environment and Social Impact Cell,
Mahr Khalid Mehmood
NTDC
Engr. Muhammad Tariq Deputy Manager Environment (E&SIC-NTDC)
Muhammad Shahid Saleem Assistant Manager Environment (E&SIC-NTDC)
Assistant Manager Social Safeguards (E&SIC-
Samina Bilal
NTDC)
Mir Ghazanfar Afzal Senior Environmental Engineer, PMC Consultant
Technical Team
Manzoor Ahmad Additional Manager (EHV-1), Islamabad
Abdul Razzaq Surveyor
1.6 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT
The Environmental Assessment Framework comprises of eight chapters and an
executive summary.
Chapter 1, Introduction; gives an introduction of the Project, scope of work for
Environmental Assessment Framework, Approach and methodology, the study team
etc.
Chapter 2, Policy, Legal and Administrative Framework; provides an overview of the
policy framework and national legislation that applies to the proposed project. The
project is expected to comply with all national/provincial legislation relating to
environment in Pakistan, and to obtain all the required regulatory clearances. It also
deals with the requirements of international donor agencies and other international
protocols for protection of biodiversity for which Pakistan has firm commitment.
Chapter 3, Description of the Project; gives a rather detailed account of the Project
particularly emphasizing those project components which are of importance in relation
with environmental and social aspects.
Chapter 4, Environmental and Social Baseline Conditions and their Analysis;
provides information about the environmental and social settings of the project area,
geology, climate, flora, fauna, water resources, socioeconomic conditions etc. and
analysis of alterations on baseline conditions to be made by the implementation of
project.
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Chapter 5, Stakeholders and Public Consultations; deals with the outcome of the
consultation carried out with the local communities, knowledgeable people, public
representatives, etc. It discusses the concern of various tires of the people and provides
an outline how these have been addressed within the framework of the project.
Chapter 6, Potential Environmental and Social Impacts; identifies the potential
impacts due to the implementation of two parallel running 500 kV transmission lines, as
well as grid station on the physical, biological and social environment of the Project
Area.
Chapter 7, Environmental Management Framework for the Mitigation of Project
(Impacts); outlines the environmental management framework (EMF). The EMF
provides generic guidelines to be followed while implementing various project activities,
in order to keep the project environmentally and socially sound.
Chapter 8, Conclusions and Recommendations; sums up the report and conclusions
and recommendations resulting from the study.
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CHAPTER 2
POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK
2.1 GENERAL
This chapter provides an overview of the policy framework and national legislation that
applies to the proposed project. The project is expected to comply with all
national/provincial legislation relating to environment in Pakistan, and to obtain all the
required regulatory clearances. It also deals with the requirements of international donor
agencies and other international protocols for protection of biodiversity for which
Pakistan has firm commitment.
2.2 NATIONAL POLICY AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK
2.2.1 Overview
The Pakistan National Conservation Strategy (NCS) that was approved by the federal
cabinet in March 1992 is the principal policy document on environmental issues in the
country (EUAD/IUCN, 1992). The NCS outlines the country‘s primary approach towards
encouraging sustainable development, conserving natural resources, and improving
efficiency in the use and management of resources. The NCS has 68 specific programs
in 14 core areas in which policy intervention is considered crucial for the preservation of
Pakistan‘s natural and physical environment. The core areas that are relevant in the
context of the proposed project are pollution prevention and abatement, restoration of
rangelands, increasing energy efficiency, conserving biodiversity, supporting forestry
and plantations, and the preservation of cultural heritage.
Two organizations, the Pakistan Environmental Protection Council (PEPC) and the
Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), are primarily responsible for
administering the provisions of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, promulgated
by the Government of Pakistan in 1997. The PEPC oversees the functioning of the Pak-
EPA. Its members include representatives of the government, non-governmental
organizations, and the private sector, particularly industrial sector. The Pak-EPA is
required to ensure compliance with the NEQS and establish monitoring and evaluation
systems. As the primary implementing agency in the hierarchy, it is responsible for
identifying the need for, as well as initiating legislation whenever necessary. The Pak-
EPA is also authorized to delegate powers to its provincial counterparts, the provincial
EPAs (environmental protection agencies). One of the functions delegated by the Pak-
EPA to provincial EPAs is the review and approval of environmental assessment reports
of projects undertaken in their respective jurisdictions.
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2.2.2 National Environment Policy, 2005
The national environmental policy 2005 aims to protect, conserve and restore
Pakistan’s environment in order to improve quality of life of the citizens through
sustainable development. The main objectives of the policy are:
 Conservation, restoration and efficient management of the environmental
resources;
 Integration of the environmental considerations in policy making and planning
process;
 Capacity building of government agencies and other stakeholders at all levels
for the better environmental management;
 Meeting international obligations effectively in line with the national aspirations;
and
 Creation of a demand for environment through mass awareness and community
mobilization.
2.2.3 National Forest Policy Pakistan, 2001
This policy covers the Renewable Natural Resources (RNR) of Pakistan i.e. forests,
watersheds, rangelands, wildlife, biodiversity and their habitats. The policy seeks to
launch a process for eliminating the fundamental causes of the depletion of RNR
through the active participation of all the concerned agencies and stakeholders, to
realize the sustainable development of the resources. It is an umbrella level policy
providing guidelines to the Federal Government, Provincial Governments and territories
for the management of their RNR. In consonance with it, the Provincial and District
Governments may devise their own policies in accordance with their circumstances.
The goal of this policy is to foster the sustainable development of RNR of Pakistan, for
the maintenance and rehabilitation of its environment and the enhancement of the
sustainable livelihoods of its rural masses especially women, children and other
vulnerable groups.
The elements of the policy are as follows:
 Reducing the impact of socio-economic causes;
 Population planning in critical ecosystems;
 Providing substitutes to firewood in the wooded mountains;
 Reducing poverty, poverty of opportunity and Powerlessness;
 Reducing political interference in the Forestry and Wildlife Departments;
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 Renovating and invigorating the institutions of RNR;
 Supporting Local Governments in the sustainable development of their RNR;
 Policies for fragile ecosystems;
 Riveraing forests;
 Irrigated plantations;
 Preservation of relict and unique forests;
 Wildlife;
 Rangelands and desert ecosystems; and
 Planting of trees and fodders on farmlands.
2.2.4 Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997
The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 empowers the Pak-EPA to:
 Delegate powers, including those of environmental assessment, to the provincial
EPAs Identify categories of projects to which the IEE/EIA provisions will apply.
Develop guidelines for conducting initial environmental examinations (IEE) and
environmental impact assessment (EIA) and procedures for the submission,
review and approval of the same.
 Develop environmental emission standards for parameters such as air, water and
noise.
 Enforce the provisions of the Act through environmental protection orders and
environmental tribunals headed by magistrates with wide-ranging powers,
including the right to fine violators of the Act.
Under the provisions of the 1997 Act, the Pak-EPA has empowered four provincial
EPAs to manage the environmental concerns of their respective provinces. The
provincial EPAs can frame environmental regulations tailored to the requirements of
their province, provided these regulations meet or exceed the minimum standards set
by the Pak-EPA. They are also required to review and approve EIA of all development
projects undertaken in their respective provinces, including those projects implemented
by federal agencies.
2.2.5 Regulations for Environmental Assessment
Under GoP regulations, the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA)
Review of Initial Environmental Examination and Environmental Impact Assessment
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Regulations (2000) categorizes development projects into two schedules according to
their potential environmental impact. The proponents of projects that have reasonably
foreseeable impacts are required to submit an IEE for their respective projects
(Schedule-I). Projects that have more adverse environmental impact (Schedule-II) are
required to submit an environmental impact assessment (EIA) to the respective
provincial Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Distribution lines and sub-stations
are included under energy projects and IEE is required for Transmission lines less than
11Kv, and large distribution projects (Schedule-I). EIA is required by GoP for all projects
involving Transmission Lines (11Kv and above) and grid stations (Schedule-II).
2.2.6 Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency Review of IEE/EIA Regulations
2000
The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 provides for two types of
environmental assessments: Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Initial
Environmental Examinations (IEE). EIAs are carried out for projects that have a
potentially “significant” environmental impact, whereas IEEs are conducted for relatively
smaller projects with a relatively less significant impact. Under Section 12 (and
subsequent amendment) of the PEPA, 1997 a project falling under any category
specified in Schedule-II requires the proponent to file an IEE or EIA with the concerned
EPA. These schedules provide guidance for project screening. Within ten working days
of the IEE or EIA having been submitted, the federal agency will confirm that the
document submitted is complete for the purpose of review. During this time, should the
federal agency requires the proponent to submit any additional information; the IEE or
EIA will be returned to the proponent for revision, clearly listing those aspects that need
further discussion. Subsequently, the federal agency shall make every effort to
complete an IEE review within 45 days and an EIA review within 90 days of filing of the
complete information of report.
2.2.718th Constitutional Amendment
Amendment XVIII (the Eighteenth Amendment) of the Constitution of Pakistan was
passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on April 8, 2010. According to this
amendment, the Ministry of Environment has been dissolved and the provinces have
been authorized to make the laws and regulations regarding environment. The powers
of Pak-EPA have now become the powers of Provincial EPAs. Every province is
making its own environment protection act.
Since the major part (about 90%) of the project falls in the jurisdiction of KPK-EPA,
therefore, it is considered as major stakeholder for environmental clearance. The KPK
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EPA was consulted during the preparation process of this document, and it was
informed that draft KPK Environmental Protection Act (KEPA) is under process and the
pattern will be almost same as adopted by Punjab EPA (given in subsequent
paragraphs). After preparation of draft act, the approval will be sorted from provincial
assembly and then it will become act. For environmental clearance, the copies of EIA
will be submitted to both EPAs i.e. KPK EPA and Punjab EPA.
The Punjab Province on the other hand has made environment protection act namely;
“THE PUNJAB ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (AMENDMENT) ACT 2012 (XXXV
OF 2012)”. The whole text of PEPA, 1997 will remain almost same with following
amendments:
 for the words “Federal Government”, wherever occur, the word “Government”
shall be substituted;
 for the words “Federal Agency”, wherever occur, the words “Provincial Agency”
shall be substituted;
 for the word “National”, wherever occurs, the word “Punjab” shall be substituted.
 for the word “Pakistan” wherever occurs, the word “Punjab” shall be substituted.
 The Government shall, by notification in the official Gazette, establish a Council
to be known as the Punjab Environmental Protection Council consisting of Chief
Minister, Provincial Environment Minister and members.
2.3 GUIDELINES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The Pak-EPA has published a set of environmental guidelines for conducting
environmental assessments and the environmental management of different types of
development projects (Pak-EPA, 2000, Procedures for Environmental Assessment).
The guidelines that are relevant to the proposed project are listed below, followed by
commentary on their relevance to the proposed project.
2.3.1 Guidelines for the Preparation and Review of Environmental Reports
The guidelines on the preparation and review of environmental reports target the project
proponents, and specify:
 The nature of the information to be included in environmental reports.
 The minimum qualifications of the EIA conductors appointed.
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 The need to incorporate suitable mitigation measures at every stage of project
implementation.
 The need to specify monitoring procedures.
The terms of reference for the reports are to be prepared by the project proponents
themselves. The report must contain baseline data on the project area, a detailed
assessment thereof, and mitigation measures.
2.3.2 Guidelines for Public Consultation
These guidelines deal with possible approaches to public consultation and techniques
for designing an effective program of consultation that reaches out to all major
stakeholders and ensures that their concerns are incorporated in any impact
assessment study.
2.4 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY STANDARDS, 2000 Revised in 2010
(NEQS, 2010)
The NEQS, 2000, specify the following standards:
 Maximum allowable concentration of pollutants (32 parameters) in municipal
and liquid industrial effluents discharged to inland waters, sewage treatment
facilities and the sea (three separate sets of numbers);
 Maximum allowable concentration of pollutants (16 parameters) in gaseous
emissions from industrial sources;
 Maximum allowable concentration of pollutants (two (02) parameters) in
gaseous emissions from vehicle exhaust; and
 Maximum allowable noise levels from vehicles;
The NEQS for motor vehicle exhaust and noise was approved in 2009. These NEQS
specify the exhaust and noise standards for in use vehicles and new vehicles (Petrol
and Diesel vehicles).
The NEQS for ambient air quality, drinking water quality and noise has been approved
in 2010. These NEQS specify the following:
 Maximum allowable concentration of pollutants (nine (09) parameters) for
ambient air;
 Maximum allowable concentration of pollutants (35 parameters) in drinking
water; and
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 Maximum allowable noise levels during day and night time for residential area,
commercial area, and industrial area and silence zones.
These standards also apply to the gaseous emissions and liquid effluents generated by
batching plants, camp sites and construction machinery.
2.5 NATIONAL RESETTLEMENT POLICY AND ORDINANCE
At this point, the only legislation relating to land acquisition and compensation is the
Land Acquisition Act (LAA) of 1894. The LAA is limited to a cash compensation policy
for the acquisition of land and built-up property, and damage to other assets, such as
crops, trees, and infrastructure. The LAA does not consider the rehabilitation and
resettlement of disrupted populations and the restoration of their livelihoods. Experience
with large-scale infrastructure development projects implemented by institutions such as
the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has demonstrated the
need for a cohesive national policy for resettlement. In spite of the fact that a National
Resettlement Policy and related legislation have been drafted, these have not been
officially notified. In the absence of such notification the safeguard policy of the World
Bank as spelled out in OP/BP 4.12 (Involuntary Resettlement) will form the basis for
managing the resettlement needs arising from the project.
2.6 OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL - RELATED STATUTES
This section outlines statutes aside from the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act,
1997, which are relevant to the project.
2.6.1 The Land Acquisition Act 1894
At this point, the only legislation relating to land acquisition and compensation is the
LAA of 1894. The LAA is, however, is limited to a cash compensation policy for the
acquisition of land and built-up property and damage to other assets, such as crops,
trees and infrastructure. The LAA does not consider the rehabilitation and resettlement
of disrupted populations and the restoration of their livelihoods.
2.6.2 The Telegraph Act, 1885
This Act was promulgated for installation of telegraph poles and stringing. This Act
makes a provision of installing poles/Towers without acquiring any land. However,
provision is there for temporary acquisition of land during the construction period. As
such, compensation is made for the loss of crop for a specific period.
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2.6.3 Affected Persons Ordinance, 2001
This Ordinance was promulgated in 2001 by the federal government to provide relief to
persons or households affected by any Project due to loss of land or displacement.
2.6.4 Electricity Act, 1910
The Act provides a legal basis for distribution of Power. It enables a licensee to conduct
operations for supply of electricity and binds the license to payment of compensation in
respect of any damages caused during the construction, operation and maintenance of
Power distribution facilities.
2.6.5 The West Pakistan Water and Power Act, 1958
This Act authorizes WAPDA to construct and operate electrical Transmission Lines with
Powers and obligations of a license under the Telegraph Act, 1910. This Act also
establishes policy for land acquisition and compensation, as well as the degree of
liability of WAPDA for damages sustained by landowners or others.
2.6.6 The Forest Act, 1927; (and Provincial Acts and Rules)
The Act, inter alia, deals with the matters related with protection and conservation of
natural vegetation/habitats. In that matter it empowers the concerned agency to declare
protected and reserved forest areas and maintaining these. In spite of the fact that it
recognizes the right of people for access to the natural resources for their household
use, it prohibits unlawful cutting of trees and other vegetation. Therefore, for cutting
trees for the construction purposes or otherwise, prior permission is required from the
Forest Department of the concerned province.
2.6.7 NWFP Hazara Forest Act, 1936
In general this act bears similar laws and regulations for the Reserved and Protected
Forests as that in the Forest Act of 1927. However, in addition to the above it regulates
the privately/community owned forests, viz., Guzara Forest, which account for 53% of
the total forested area in NWFP as against 7% Reserved Forest and 40% Protected
Forest.
2.6.8 Provincial Wildlife Protection Acts
Provincial Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Acts,
Ordinances and Rules (NWFP 1975). In addition to empowering provincial wildlife
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departments to establish game reserves, parks, and wildlife sanctuaries, the acts and
rules regulate the hunting and disturbance of wildlife.
2.6.9 Antiquities Act, 1975
The Antiquities Act relates to the protection, preservation and conservation of
archaeological/ historical sites and monuments. It prohibits construction (or any other
damaging) activity within 200ft of such sites unless prior permission is obtained from the
Federal Department of Archaeology and Museums. The Antiquities Act also binds the
project proponent to notify the department should anything of archaeological value be
excavated during project construction.
2.6.10 Provincial Local Government Ordinance, 2001
These ordinances, issued following the devolution process, establish regulations for
land use, the conservation of natural vegetation, air, water, and land pollution, the
disposal of solid waste and wastewater effluents, as well as matters related to public
health and safety.
2.6.11 Regulation of Mines and Oil Fields and Mineral Development Act, 1948
This legislation provides regulatory procedures for the quarrying and mining of
construction material on state-owned as well as private land.
2.6.12 Factories Act, 1934
The sections of the act relevant to the project are those that concern the health, safety
and welfare of workers, disposal of solid waste and effluent, and damage to private and
public property. The Factories Act also provides regulations for handling and disposing
of toxic and hazardous materials. Given that construction activity is classified as
“industry”, these regulations will be applicable to the project contractor.
2.6.13 Pakistan Penal Code, 1860
The Pakistan Penal Code deals with offences where public or private property and/or
human lives are affected due to the intentional or accidental misconduct of an individual
or body of people. In the context of environment, the Penal Code empowers the local
authorities to control noise, noxious emissions and disposal of effluents. The NEQS
enforced by the EPAs supersede the application of this legislation on industries and
municipalities. The Penal Code, however, can provide a basis for the NTDC to
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coordinate its activities with the local authorities to ensure that its construction activities
do not become a cause of public nuisance or inconvenience.
2.6.14 Explosives Act, 1884
Under the Explosives Act, the project contractor is bound by regulations on handling,
transportation and using explosives during quarrying, blasting, and other purposes.
2.7 INTERACTION WITH OTHER AGENCIES
The NTDC is responsible for ensuring that the project complies with the laws and
regulations controlling the environmental concerns arising during construction and
operation of the Project. Moreover, it desirable pre-construction requisites are met.
These include obtaining necessary permits and clearances from various government
agencies. This section describes the nature of the relationship between the proponent
and the line departments concerned.
2.7.1 Provincial EPAs
NTDC will be responsible for providing the complete environmental documentation
required by the EPA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and EPA Punjab and remain committed to
the approved project design. No deviation is permitted in design once it is finalized and
incorporated in the environmental documents. Should there be any modification during
project implementation stage, this is not allowed without the prior and explicit
permission of the EPA concerned.
2.7.2 Forests and Wildlife Departments, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab
The project is expected to involve tree cutting and other vegetation clearing for
construction purposes. The project contractor will, however, be responsible for acquiring
a “No-Objection Certificate” (NOC) from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab Forest
Departments. The application for an NOC will need to be endorsed by the NTDC. NTDC
will carry out tree plantation to compensate the cutting of the trees. This will be
implemented either through a contractor or as a deposit work assigned to the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab Forest Departments. NTDC will also be responsible for
liaising with the provincial forest department on the types of trees to be planted and
other matters particularly concerning the substitute plantation areas if enough space is
not available in the vicinity of the project area. Should there be a need of mobilization of
communities for accommodating compensatory plantation on their lands, NTDC will
seek assistance from the Forest Departments. Where construction is to be carried out in
close proximity of protected forests and wildlife areas, the NTDC is required to
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coordinate with these departments to ensure that impacts on vegetation and wildlife are
minimized.
The project will be located in a difficult valley which has limited access due to non-
availability of road. Therefore, there is insignificant human intervention. The local
communities are used to rather primitive life style, where the needs are limited to food
production for livelihood through agriculture and rearing livestock. As such, the natural
environment more or less remained unexploited. There is an apprehension that
provision of an improved access for the development of the Project will result in
enhanced exploitation of natural resources, particularly timber logging and hunting of
rare wildlife species. Therefore, coordination/consultation with concerned quarters is of
utmost importance for the protection and conservation of the valley.
2.7.3 Provincial Revenue Departments
According to law, land is provincial subject. Thus the matters relating to land fall under
jurisdiction of the Provincial Revenue Department that keeps the record of land use and
ownership and collection of land revenue. On enquiry from the Revenue Department
and local population it has been learnt that land record has yet not been generated by
Revenue Department. This is because a few years back the Kohistan territory formed
the part of Provincial Administrated Tribal Area (PATA) with the consequence the
matters relating to land were handled according to tribal traditions. With allocation of
district level status to the area, the Revenue Department is in process of preparing
revenue record. Under the law, the acquisition of land and other assets thereon, like
built-up properties, trees and crops for development projects for any federal or
provincial agency or otherwise is carried out by the Provincial Revenue Department. For
the purpose of this Project, the Revenue Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and of
Punjab are the concerning agencies. As such, the proponent is required to lodge an
application with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab government to depute a land
acquisition collector (LAC) and other revenue staff who will be responsible for handling
matters related to acquisition and the disbursement of compensation. NTDC will provide
logistical support and assist in preparing the documents necessary for notifications. It
will also need to liaise with the provincial departments of agriculture, horticulture, and
forestry in order to evaluate affected vegetation resources, such as trees and crops,
etc., for compensation purposes. Where public buildings/infrastructure is involved,
NTDC will approach the concerned departments that own the affected building or
infrastructure before removing or relocating the facilities.
2.7.4 Local Government & Local Administration
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NTDC and its contractor must ensure that the project meets the criteria of the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab government for the establishment of construction camps and
plants, use of water resources and safe disposal of wastewater, solid waste and toxic
materials. These matters lie in the jurisdiction of the Local Government. Therefore, the
contractor should liaise closely with the concerned body. In that matter, NTDC will
however assist the contractor for developing the contacts. NTDC will also be
responsible for monitoring the environment-related issues.
2.8 WORLD BANK’ SAFEGUARD POLICIES AND GUIDELINES
The World Bank requires governments seeking financial assistance for development
projects to carry out environmental impact assessment and prepare environmental
management and resettlement plans. It is also required that the environmental and
resettlement related planning should meet the requirements of the World Bank’s
safeguard policies and regulations.
The following World Bank’s Safeguards Policies are triggered based on the
environmental and social assessment field investigations. The justification for each
policy’s triggering has also been incorporated in subsequent paragraphs.
2.8.1 Environmental Assessment (OP 4.01)
The World Bank requires environmental assessment (EA) of projects proposed for Bank
financing to help ensure that they are environmentally sound and sustainable, and thus
to improve decision making. The OP defines the EA process and various types of the
EA instruments.
The proposed project consists of activities which are likely to have environmental and
social consequences, such as:
 Damage to assets (such as crops),
 Deterioration of air quality
 Water contamination and consumption
 Damage to top soil, land erosion
 Safety hazard.
Since, as a part of Dasu hydropower development, this project has also been
categorized as Category A project. Therefore, to identify the extent and consequences
of these impacts, and to develop an EMP for their mitigation, an ESA will have to be
carried out, in accordance with this Operational Policy.
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2.8.2 Involuntary Resettlement (OP 4.12)
This policy deals with the issues and concerns related to land acquisition and
involuntary relocation of project affected people. It not only addresses compensatory
actions for loss of property but also deals with other type of losses including the
followings:
 Loss of shelter and re-location
 Loss of income source or livelihood (with or without re-location)
 Loss of natural resources
 Loss of access to natural resources
 Loss of communication among communities
 Loss of utilities and social amenities
The main objectives of Bank’s policies are that:
 Involuntary resettlement should be avoided or minimized as far as possible by
exploring other viable alternatives;
 Where it is not feasible to avoid resettlement, resettlement activities should be
conceived and executed as sustainable development program, providing
sufficient investment resources to enable the persons displaced by the project to
share in project benefits;
 Displaced persons should be assisted in their efforts to improve their livelihood
and standards of living or at least restore to the extent of pre-displacement
levels.
 Displaced persons should be properly consulted and should have opportunities
to participate in planning and implementing resettlement programs.
The Policy defines the requirement of preparing a resettlement plan or a resettlement
policy framework, in order to address the involuntary resettlement.
For the proposed project during the site/route selection, settlements are generally
avoided, however at some places acquisition of cultivable land – though temporary -
cannot be ruled out.
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Similarly, crops along the proposed transmission lines may be damaged during the
construction and operation phases of the proposed project.
The transmission lines will be constructed over a distance of 250 km, therefore, some
structures (residential or commercial) would possibly be relocated near towns and
settlements. In view of the above, the OP 4.12 is likely to be triggered. Based upon the
findings of the ESA a resettlement policy framework (RPF) or a resettlement plan (RP)
will be developed, in accordance with this OP.
2.8.3 Natural Habitat (OP 4.04)
The conservation of natural habitats, like other measures that protect and enhance the
environment, is essential for long-term sustainable development. The Bank therefore
supports the protection, maintenance, and rehabilitation of natural habitats and their
functions. As the project will be located in the proximity of natural habitat (Palas Valley
Forests), it is required to adopt the guidelines laid down in this policy to avoid/minimize
the impacts on the natural habitat and propose mitigation measures for the adverse
impacts, if any.
2.8.4 Forestry (OP 4.36)
The objective of this Policy is to assist the World Bank borrowers to harness the
potential of forests to reduce poverty in a sustainable manner, integrate forests
effectively into sustainable economic development, and protect the vital local and global
environmental services and values of forests.
Since the elaborated project details, such as the transmission line routes and tower
locations, are not known at this stage, but it is clear that it will cross the Palas Valley
forests, which are the only “Un touch Forests” in Pakistan. Therefore, this OP will be
triggered and respective measures and guidelines would be adopted during project
preparation and construction stages.
2.8.6 Projects on International Waterways (OP 7.50)
This OP defines the procedure to be followed for projects the World Bank finances that
are located on any water body that forms a boundary between, or flows through two or
more states.
The proposed project route is planned on both banks of Indus River from Dasu to
Pattan. The Indus River flows throughout Pakistan and originating in the Tibetan plateau
in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar. Indus River runs a course through the Ladakh region
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of Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit, Baltistan and flows through Pakistan in a southerly
direction along the entire length of Pakistan to merge into the Arabian Sea near the port
city of Karachi in Sindh. However, the proposed projects is Transmission Line and does
not have any direct contact with ground like other linear projects such as highways,
railway lines etc. So, it will not affect the riparians of the Indus River.
2.8.7 Physical Cultural Resources (OP 4.11)
This policy addresses physical cultural resources, which are defined as movable or
immovable objects, sites, structures, groups of structures, and natural features and
landscapes that have archaeological, palaeontological, historical, architectural,
religious, aesthetic, or other cultural significance. Physical cultural resources may be
located in urban or rural settings, and may be above or below ground, or under water.
Their cultural interest may be at the local, provincial or national level, or within the
international community.
The Bank assists countries to avoid or mitigate adverse impacts on physical cultural
resources from development projects that it finances. The impacts on physical cultural
resources resulting from project activities, including mitigating measures, may not
contravene either the borrower’s national legislation, or its obligations under relevant
international environmental treaties and agreements.
During field survey no cultural/historical/archaeological property was identified within the
COI. However, should any such property/chance find/artifact get identified during
implementation, the Contractor will stop work, protect the cultural property, contact the
relevant government department/ agency responsible and handover the artifact/chance
find, etc.
2.8.8 Access to Information: This policy sets out the Bank's requirements for
disclosing and sharing information. The policy reaffirms the Bank’s commitment to
transparency and accountability in its activities for promoting development effectiveness
and poverty reduction.
2.9 OTHER PERTINENT INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS
At an international level, Pakistan is a signatory to a number of agreements, protocols
and understandings. Some of those relevant to the project are as follows:
2.9.1 The Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 1979
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The Convention requires the countries to take action to avoid endangering migratory
species. Species covered in the Convention should be given special attention during EA
and monitoring, and any impacts identified should be mitigated to acceptable levels.
2.9.2 The Rio Declaration, 1992
The Rio Declaration comprises twenty seven principles which address such important
issues as; sustainable development to integrate environmental protection into the
development process; common but differentiated responsibilities to conserve, protect
and restore the earth’s ecosystems; public participation and information access at the
national level, reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and
consumption.
2.9.3 Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention), 1971
The broad aim of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) is to halt the
worldwide loss of wetlands and to conserve those that remain through wise use and
technology transfer. Contracting Parties have made commitments to:
 Designate at least one site that meets the Ramsar criteria for inclusion in the list
of Wetlands of International Importance.
 Protect the ecological character of listed sites.
 Include wetlands conservation within their national land-use planning.
 Establish nature reserves on wetlands and promote wetland training.
2.9.4 Convention on Biological Diversity
According to its Article 1, the convention has the following aims: "The objectives of this
Convention, to be pursued in accordance with its relevant provisions, are the
conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair
and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources,
including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of
relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to
technologies, and by appropriate funding." The Convention entered into force on 29
December 1993.
2.10 NTDC’s SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
NTDC Design Directorate has issued safety considerations which must be borne in
mind during selection of route for a Transmission Line. The main points of the
guidelines are:
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 Operation in environmentally sensitive areas with special respect for fragile
ecosystems and their inherent biodiversity are to be avoided to the extent possible;
 Similarly, ROW for a Transmission Line through natural features like mountains,
hilly terrain susceptible to landslides, large lakes, reservoirs, marshes, human
habitations and reserved forests or national parks are to be avoided to the extent
possible;
 ROW is selected after due consideration for location of telecommunication lines and
railway circuits to avoid electrical interference due to mutual induction;
 Residential structures are kept a minimum of 12m out from the plumb line of the
outer conductor in the ROW. However, in the absence of an alternative alignment,
an exception can be made for farm buildings and single floor factory buildings,
provided neither is used for purposes of residence;
 Innovative technologies and latest equipment must be adopted or used to abate
pollution in construction activities and operations;
 Routes of Transmission Lines are avoided to the maximum extent through areas of
cultural or historical importance and religious places;
 Tubewells and open wells using a surface pump are not permitted under high
voltage conductors as piping and cranes used to recondition such wells could make
contact with high voltage conductors;
 Existing orchards can remain within the ROW although Towers are kept out of
orchards wherever possible. Orchards are to be over-sailed by a clearance of 6m
above the height of a mature orchard whereas all other trees are to be removed;
 Brick kilns should be kept at 30m outside the center line of ROW;
 Alternative route alignments should be used if any school, rural dispensary, mosque
or local shrine (ziarat) falls within 200m of the centerline of a planned route;
 Existing open wells and hand pumps can remain under high voltage conductors,
provided open wells are capped;
 Selection of sites for Tower foundation and Tower erection is made consciously on
stable surfaces and by rejecting sites susceptible to erosion, slips and landslides;
 Alignment of the Transmission Line is made by NTDC after discussions with key
persons of the area and by avoiding properties and infrastructure to the extent
feasible;
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 Spacing between Towers/poles may not be uniform and ranges could vary for
physical and other considerations, such as crossing of main roads, residential
areas, streams and canals and trees and for avoiding graveyards and big ditches in
between Towers/poles;
 The route alignment of the Transmission Line, location of the Towers/poles and the
corridors are identified by NTDC;
 The main consideration relating to public safety is a safe horizontal and vertical
distance of conductor from ground level to prevent electrocution of people or
animals under the Transmission Line. A corridor having a minimum width of 30m,
clear of all obstructions, is provided for extra high voltage (500KV and 220KV)
Transmission Lines (half on either side from the centerline). However, general
farming within this corridor is allowed and tree plantations that do not exceed a
height of 1.5m are also allowed to remain under the lines. Similarly, open wells,
including Persian wheels, can remain under Transmission Lines. Tubewells and
pumps are not permitted under high voltage conductors, because piping and cranes
used to refurbish such wells may come into contact with the lines; and
 No residential or other public buildings such as factory, school, hospital and
mosque, except for graves/graveyards, are permitted within the corridor. However,
farm buildings which are used for residential purposes may remain under extra high
voltage lines, provided vertical clearance of at least 8m is maintained. The height of
Towers can be increased to accommodate such buildings.
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CHAPTER 3
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
3.1 GENERAL
This Chapter provides an overview of the project including the proposed Transmission
Lines route, 500 kV grid station and Dasu power house, and their design construction
aspects. The chapter provides details of project location, project components, design
considerations, construction aspects, construction procedures, and operation and
maintenance activities. Analysis of Alternatives has also been made the part of this
chapter. The project description chapter has some limitations due to the unavailability of
in-depth technical and design details for Transmission Lines and Grid Station. The pre-
qualification of the Consultants for the detailed engineering design and tower spotting is
in process. It is envisaged that the Consultants will be on board in 6 to 8 months.
Dasu Hydropower Project complex including Dasu Power Station will be constructed
and owned by the Water Wing of WAPDA. The NTDC will be responsible for dispersal
of power from Power Station to 500 kV Grid Station by constructing two 500 kV
transmission lines. Hence, this EARF (including baseline and impact assessment) has
been prepared only for Transmission Lines and Grid Station and NTDC is not the
proponent for Dasu Power Station. But for better understanding, an introduction to Dasu
Hydropower Project has also been made the part of this chapter besides the
transmission lines and grid station.
3.1.1 Location of Dasu Hydropower Project
The Dasu Hydropower Project will be constructed on the Indus River in Kohistan District
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. It is a run-off-the river Project with the dam axis about
7 km upstream of Dasu Town, the administrative headquarter of Kohistan District. It is
about 350 km north of Islamabad, the Capital City. The Dasu Hydropower Project will be
comprised of a 242 m high concrete gravity dam and 73 km long reservoir behind the
dam. The reservoir will have average width of 365 m and at full supply level elevation
950m, an area of about 23.85 km2. The catchment area will be 158,800km2. The
average discharge at dam site is 2,068 m3/sec. The project will have an underground
powerhouse housing 12 turbines, each of which will produce 360 MW power, and a total
maximum capacity to produce 4320 MW. The Project inundation upstream will require
relocation of 46 km of the existing Karakorum Highway on the Left bank of the Indus.
The access road to the dam site will follow the current route from Karakoram Highway
at Komila along the Seo road and contractor’s facilities will be on the Right bank near
village Kaigah.
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3.1.2 Location of 500 kV Dasu-Islamabad Transmission Lines
The proposed two parallel running 500 kV Dasu – Islamabad Transmission Lines route
begins at Village Seo some 10 km upstream of river Indus at Dasu Hydropower Plant in
Kohistan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and extends along downstream of Indu s
River till Pattan. From there, the corridor proceeds through the lower Palas valley to
Battagram district via Shrakot to Tailos and Banna in Allai Tehsil of District Battagram.
From Banna, the line will pass through Karkat Nullah and will take 2045 masl altitude till
Village Chil near Battagram. From there, with a slight southwest turn towards Oogi in
Mansehra District in the vicinity of Settlement Chaprian (District Mansehra) and then to
Sherwan in District Abbotabad and gradually turning south east will enter into Haripur
District on the eastern flanks of Tarbela Dam near Village Darwaza (District Haripur).
Out of total 250 km, the 200 km line route from Dasu to Darwaza is mountainous, hard
rocks, forests and falls in swear winter zone. The next 50 km from Darwaza to Village
Pathar Garh Tehsil Hasan Abdal, District Attock is plain with rugged land with some
agriculture fields.
3.2 PROJECT COMPONENTS
As discussed earlier, the NTDC will be the proponent for two parallel running about 250
km long 500 kV transmission lines and 500 kV grid station. But to develop a linkage
between Dasu hydropower project, the transmission lines and grid station, a brief
introduction on Dasu power station has also been incorporated.
3.2.1 Power House Complex
Dasu powerhouse will be located near Village Seo, about 15 km upstream to the Dasu
Komila as shown in Fig 3.1. The powerhouse complex comprises three major
underground caverns, the powerhouse cavern (PH cavern), transformer/GIS cavern (TR
cavern) and tailrace surge chambers. The PH cavern accommodates twelve 360 MW
generating units. The TR cavern houses main step-up transformers and gas-insulated
switchgears (GISs) for all units. The surge chambers are four large cylindrical caverns,
one surge chamber serves for three turbine units.
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Dasu Power
House Complex
Fig. 3.1: Location of Dasu Power House Complex
The underground powerhouse complex will be constructed on left bank abutment of the
main dam. The adopted alignment of the powerhouse complex is shown in Fi 3.2. In
deciding the detailed alignment (position, orientation, etc.) of the powerhouse complex,
the following considerations were taken into account:
1. Upstream waterway system between intake and powerhouse receives higher
internal pressure than tailrace waterway. Provisions of the shortest possible
length of the upstream waterway are advantageous to reduce costly high
pressure waterways.
2. Major parts of caverns should be located within sound rock mass not containing
inappropriate weak or fractured rock zones.
3. The axis of the PH cavern should be oriented in the direction perpendicular to
major discontinuity planes in rock mass so as to minimize rock instability caused
by cavern excavation.
4. The PH cavern should be located as close from the river bank as practical to
minimize length of access tunnel and bus (cable) tunnel as well.
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Fig 3.2: Alignment of Power House Complex
a. Generation Equipment
Twelve (12) No. 360 MW generating equipment units will be installed. Three (3) units
will be connected to each power tunnel. Vertical shaft Francis turbine is selected for the
rated output of 360 MW and the rated head (design head) of 179.51m.
b. Power Take-off yard and Transmission Lines
A take-off yard will be constructed and the power will be taken from the underground
substation through underground tunnels up to the take-off yard where gantries are to be
installed and then it will be connected to the Dasu - Pathar Garh Transmission Lines for
power dispersal. The 500 kV Transmission Lines with two double circuit towers and four
bundle conductors will be constructed from Dasu to Pathar Garh, Tehsil Hassan Abdal,
District Attock.
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3.2.2 Transmission Lines
The power dispersal from Dasu to Pathar Garh (Tehsil Hassan Abdal, District Attock)
will be carried out by two parallel 500 kV Transmission Lines to connect 500 KV Grid
Station near Pathar Garh Tehsil Hassan Abdal, District Attock. The 500KV
Transmission Lines will extend over a distance of about 250km, the 200 km route will
traverse five districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Kohistan, Battagram, Mansehra,
Abbottabad and Haripur. The 40 km route will pass through Darwaza Tehsil & District
Haripur before connecting the proposed Grid Station near village Pathar Garh Tehsil,
Hassan Abdal, District Attock of Punjab Province (10 km). The transmission line route is
shown in Fig 3.3.
The total estimated towers for both the proposed Transmission Lines will be 175 (if
taken @ 285 m /tower) from Dasu to Pathar Garh. The spacing between the towers
shall not be uniform because of the physical and other considerations like high altitudes,
difficult terrain, crossing of rivers, main roads, railway lines, avoiding houses,
infrastructure and cultural properties. However, average distance between towers can
vary from 275 to 300m considering the topography and land use of the areas.
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Fig.3.3: The Transmission Lines Route
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a. Altitude of Transmission Lines Route
Almost 3/4th of the Transmission Lines from Dasu to Islamabad traverses through the
mountainous areas of Kohistan, Battagram, Mansehra and Abbotabad districts from
point 1 to 17 (as shown in Fig. 3.4). The red line in Fig. 3.1 shows the variation in the
elevation of proposed Transmission Lines route.
Fig.3.4: Dasu-Islamabad Transmission Lines Altitude Variance
The Transmission Lines in this area will be constructed on a wide range of altitude from
about 670 to 2745 masl in Kohistan district (1 to 5), 1219 to 2042 masl in Battagram
district (6 to 11), relatively even altitude between 1100 to 1200 masl in Mansehra district,
followed by slightly higher altitude (1250-1000 masl) in Abbotabad district. The last 1/3 rd
section of the Transmission Lines will traverse through plain areas of Haripur and Attock
districts where the altitude ranges between 500 to 410 masl.
b. Access to Existing Road Network
The overall access to the proposed transmission lines route is difficult, climatically hard,
financially very expensive and technically a challenge for the engineers to design and
implement. There is an acute problem of accessibility to road infrastructure in the entire
tract. On an average for one square kilometer of the area, the access to road is only
0.30 km in Abbotabad, 0.25km in Haripur, 0.20 km in Mansehra and Battagram and
0.10 km in Kohistan district.
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Table 3.1: Transmission Lines Access to Existing Road Network
Area Length Road No of Rural Road
of TL Access Crossings
Km Along or
2-3 km
nearby
1 Dasu to Pattan –Palas 32 32 Both sides of the Indus.
KKH
2 Palas to Palas Valley 10 12
3 Palas Valley to Tailos 30 0 Only one jeep able
4 Tailos-Banna 10 6 Both side of Allai Khwar
5 Banna –Chill- 35 2 One jeep track one road
Battagram
6 Battagram-Shamdara 30 0 Two rural roads
/Khaki
7 Khaki –Darwaza 30 0 Two rural roads
8 Darwaza-Hasan Abdal 50 15 KKH and other link roads
Total 250 65
The proposed line direction of the transmission line is from north to south. Even then,
less than 1/3rd of the route may have access from any main road, rural connecting road
or jeep able roads. The remaining more than 2/3 rd is entirely inaccessible mountains,
forests or fellow lands. The most difficult mountainous and unexplored area (75 km) is
between Palas Valley and Battagram.
3.2.3 Grid Station
The 500 kV Grid Station is proposed in the east west direction of Islamabad – Peshawar
Motorway (M-1), near Village Pathar Garh, Tehsil Hassan Abdal and District Attock as
shown in Fig 3.5. The Grid Station is initially proposed due to the following justifications:
 No Population and land availability.
 A 500 kV Grid Station will require 3 to 4 in and out circuits which require sufficient
vacant area (about 100 acres).
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 Close to National Transmission Lines Ring System, i.e. connection to all the
distribution systems is easy.
 Land is barren and privately owned by the resident of village Pathar Garh.
500KV Grid
Station
Fig. 3.5: Proposed 500KV Grid Station at Pathat Garh, Hassan Abdal
3.3 DESIGN ASPECT
Following is the brief description of the design aspects of the proposed Transmission
Lines, Towers and Grid Station.
3.3.1 Transmission Lines
Electric-Power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating
powerhouse to electrical substations located near demand centers. This is distinct from
the local wiring between high-voltage substations and customers, which is typically
referred to as electric power distribution. Transmission Lines, when interconnected with
each other, become transmission networks.
Electricity is transmitted at high voltages (110KV or above) to reduce the energy lost in
long-distance transmission. Power is usually transmitted through overhead power lines.
Underground Power transmission has a significantly higher cost and greater operational
limitations but is sometimes used in urban areas or sensitive locations.
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A key limitation in the distribution of electric power is that, with minor exceptions,
electrical energy cannot be stored, and therefore must be generated as needed. A
sophisticated control system is required to ensure electric generation very closely
matches the demand. If the demand for Power exceeds the supply, generation plants
and transmission equipment can shut down which, in the worst cases, can lead to a
major regional blackout. To reduce the risk of such failures, electric transmission
networks are interconnected into regional, national or continental wide networks thereby
providing multiple redundant alternative routes for Power to flow should (weather or
equipment) failures occur. Much analysis is done by transmission companies to
determine the maximum reliable capacity of each line (ordinarily less than its physical or
thermal limit) to ensure spare capacity is available should there be any such failure in
another part of the network.
Taking into account the possibility of higher export of power through the line in future
two 500 kV quad bundle Transmission lines from Dasu to Pathar Garh (District Attock)
will be constructed. It may be added that detailed project specific information of the
Transmission Lines will be available after the final design by the Consultants, while
various parameters to be considered for the system and human safety are described
below in detail.
a) Climatic Consideration
Local climatic conditions, i.e. the temperature, wind velocity, thunder storm levels,
relative humidity etc., control the selection of materials to be used for Transmission
Lines. The following climate parameters will be considered in the design criteria.
 Maximum Conductor Temperature 80oC
 Minimum Conductor Temperature -5.0oC
 Every day temperature 25oC to 27oC
 Maximum Wind Velocity 160 km/h (44.4 m/s)
 Isokeraunic Level 77-120 thunder storm day/year
 Maximum Relative Humidity 90%
 Ice Coating of Conductor 5 mm (for high altitudes)
 Current Rating of Conductor 1673A
b) Conductors and Line Configuration
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The selection of conductor is based on electrical, mechanical and atmospheric pollution
considerations. The size of conductor is determined such that the corona and radio
interference levels are within the internationally acceptable limits. In the prequalification
process for hiring of Consultants, the ACSR Martin conductor has been proposed for
Transmission Lines that need further studies before final selection of the conductor. The
ultimate tensile strength (UTS) limits for conductor tension should be as follows:
 17% of UTS under no wind conditions, every day stress at every day
temperature, final conditions;
 50% of UTS under full wind load (44.7 m/sec) at every day temperature, final
condition;
 30% of UTS under no wind load condition at minimum temperature, initial
condition; and
 Maximum wind pressure of 175kg/m² on conductors, 190 kg/m² for Optical
Fibber Ground Wire (OPGW) and Overhead Shield Wire (OHSW) and 240kg/m²
for insulators need to be adopted.
c) Insulation
Transmission Lines have been provided with appropriate insulator assemblies. These
have been determined based on the degree of contamination in air, power frequency,
operative voltage, switching and lighting surge voltage under the particular service
conditions of the line. The type of insulators, creepage distance and shed diameter will
be selected in accordance with the existing international standards for similar voltage
level.
 ANSI C29.1: American national standards for electric power insulators;
 IEC Publication 383: Insulators of overhead lines with a normal voltage above
1000 V;
 IEC 575: Thermal-Mechanical performance test on string-insulator units; and
 Other relevant ANSI, ASTM and IEC Standards.
3.3.2 Towers
a) Tower Structures
All the Towers shall be self-supporting type, lattice steel structures, fabricated from
galvanized structural steel shapes. The steel employed will be in accordance with the
latest edition of the following standards:
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 EN 10025: EURONORM Standard Specifications for Structural Steel; Rolled
Steel, Steel Sheets and Plates etc.;
 ASTM A36: Standard Specifications for Structural Steel; and
 ASTM A572: Grade 50/60/65 Standard Specifications for High Strength Low-
alloy Columbium-Vanadium Steels of Structural Quality.
The following types of towers are proposed for the proposed transmission lines at the
planning stage:
i. Double Circuit Suspension Type Tower for line angles up to 2°. The tower shall
consist of a basic body, body extension of 6.0 m and leg extensions of 2.0 m,
4.0 m, 6.0m &8.0 m.
ii. Double Circuit Light Angle Strain Type Tower for line angles up to 20° The
tower shall consist of a basic body, body extension of 6.0 m and leg extensions
of 2.0 m, 4.0 m, 6.0m &8.0 m.
iii. Double Circuit Medium Angle Strain Type Tower for line angles up to 40° The
tower shall consist of a basic body, body extension of 6.0 m and leg extensions
of 2.0 m, 4.0 m,6.0m &8.0 m.
iv. Double Circuit Heavy Angle/Terminal/deadend Strain type Tower for line angles
up to 60° The tower shall consist of a basic body, body extension of 6.0 m and
leg extensions of 2.0 m, 4.0 m,6.0 &8.0 m.
Double Circuit Strain Type Tower for line angle 60° shall be modified for use as
transposition tower. The tower shall consist of a basic body, body extension of 6.0 m
and leg extension of 6.0 m.
Notes
a. Special towers for long spans, river crossings, multi circuit towers; if required by
site conditions; shall be designed as well.
b. It is proposed to use different families of towers at elevations up to 1000 masl, at
elevations between 1000 and 2000 masl, at elevations between 2000 and 3000
masl and at elevations above 3000 masl. The necessary studies, investigations
and techno-economic analysis to optimize the families and types of towers
including body/leg/uneven leg extensions shall carry out at the detailed design
stage.
c. All towers will be designed with reference to the environmental data and design
characteristic to be agreed by the NTDC.
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d. The number of tower types and height of towers shall be optimized to provide the
most cost-effective line design considering reliability, materials, construction and
maintenance solutions.
e. Normal ruling span and the tower height shall be determined for the most
economical line construction according to the prudent engineering practices.
b) Tower Spotting
Tower spotting will be done considering the following factors:
 Selection of proper Tower type and positioning at optimum location;
 Achievement of economical Tower heights with safe clearance from ground and
nearby objects;
 Assurance of compliance with design load criteria;
 Location of Towers to minimize risk of foundations being damaged by flood,
erosion, shifting of material etc.;
 Providing a minimum clearance of 20 m from the outer conductor to the nearest
conductor of another power line, existing or planned;
 Avoiding interference with or obstruction to any roadway or track being regularly
used by wheeled vehicles, animals or pedestrians;
 In areas of high altitudes, extra ground clearance will be needed to ensure that
tree/vegetation growth will not reduce conductor ground clearance below the
minimum safe value; and
 The requirements of the relevant authorities regarding distance of Towers from
the forests, roadways and railways.
c) Tower Foundations
All the Tower foundations should be designed as individual leg footings, with 4 legs per
Tower. The following foundation types will be considered depending upon the results of
the soil investigations.
 Shallow Foundation (Square);
 Dry;
 Semi-submerged;
 Submerged;
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 Deep Foundation; and
 Piles.
Depending on the engineering parameters of the soils under various conditions referred
above, different types of foundations will be recommended. Final choice will be made
after the Contractor has carried out soil investigations at the time of construction.
The foundations will be about 2.5 to 4m below the natural surface level with only Tower
footings protruding up to 0.45m above the ground. The general steel structure of the
Tower will have a clearance of 4 to 8 m from the natural ground. This will allow the
farmers to utilize the ground underneath the Tower.
Pile foundation is considered for Tower locations at nullah/stagnant/flash flood area at
places where the soil condition do not permit the use of shallow foundations. The exact
number of pile foundations will depend on subsurface investigations at the Tower
locations at the time of construction.
3.3.3 Safety Parameters
For Extra High Voltage (EHV) lines, safety considerations are of two types. One is
related to the safety of the system, while others are those that are related to the public.
It is for this reason that NTDC has adopted a 30 m wide (15 m either side from the
centerline) corridor as the ROW for the proposed Transmission Lines. The aspects to
be considered in this regard are as under:
(a) System Safety
Conductor to Tower Clearance: For the safety of the system, it is imperative that any
factor that may interrupt the power supply should be considered in the design. The
clearance of the conductor from Tower legs and trusses is of prime importance.
Therefore, in the design, a minimum clearance of 6.4m should be adopted under
extreme wind conditions. This is based on minimum requirements of National Electric
Safety Code (NESC) (ANSI C2). With this clearance, there is 99% probability of
withstanding switching surge of 3-sigma margin due to maximum over voltage under
adverse climatic conditions.
Earthing of the System: Every Tower is connected to an earthing system. This is to
keep Tower footings resistance at a level lower than 10 Ohms. For this, two (02) earth
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electrodes of copper-clad steel rods are sunk vertically into the ground to a minimum
depth of 3m and at the locations where the required resistance is not achieved crow
footing will be done.
Lightning Performance: The Tower geometry, clearance and insulation of the system
are designed to perform safely within the permitted lightning intensities. In this respect,
consideration should be given to the Tower footing resistance and Isokeraunic level of
the area.
(b) Public Safety
General Aspects: In view of public safety, NTDC has adopted a policy of keeping a 30
m wide corridor clear of all obstructions for 500KV Transmission Lines (15 m on either
side from the centerline). However, NTDC allows general farm practices within this
corridor, but tree plantation that exceeds a height of 2.5m is not allowed. As such, the
existing orchards having fruit trees with a height of not exceeding 2.5m are allowed to
remain under the lines. Similarly, open wells, including Persian wheels, are allowed to
remain under the Transmission Lines. However, tube wells and peter pumps are not
permitted under the high voltage conductors. This is for the reason that piping and
cranes used to refurbish such wells could come in contact with the lines.
No residential or other public buildings like factory, school, hospital etc., are permitted
within the corridor. However, farm buildings, which are not used for residential purposes
are allowed to remain under the high voltage lines, provided a 10.2 m minimum
clearance is maintained. The height of the Towers can be increased to accommodate
such buildings.
Conductor to Ground Clearance: The conductor to ground clearance is desirable to be
worked out based on over voltage due to switching surge. In this consideration, safe
clearance is required to be provided for moving objects under the line with a height of
6.0m, withstanding switching surge of 3-sigma margin with 99.7% probability under
adverse atmospheric conditions. This should keep the maximum voltage gradient at
ground level and maximum current induced in a person less than the internationally
allowable values. As such, the total conductor to ground clearance shall in no way be
less than 10.2m.
The specific standard accepted is that of the NESC, currently applicable in the United
States. The permissible conductor clearances (at a maximum temperature of 75 oC) are
given in Table 3.2.
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Table 3.2: Permissible Conductor Clearances
Sr. No. Description Clearance (m)
1 Cultivated land traversed by vehicles 11.5
2 Road and Streets 13.0
3 Highways 15.0
4 Railroads 14.0
5 Electrified Railroads Trolley Wire 6.0
6 River at High Flood Level 9.5
7 Places Accessible to Pedestrians only 12.0
Buildings Roofs not accessible to
8 10.0
people
9 Tops of Trees (Orchards) 6.0
10 Canals 11.0
3.3.4 Grid Station Site Selection Guidelines
Since, the Project is at an initial stage and the detailed topographic survey and design
of the Grid Station is yet to be carried out, the following points will be taken care of at a
later stage:
 To minimize the resettlement, relocation of the existing infrastructure like roads,
railways, cultural and religious sites etc. and alignment will be adjusted during
the detailed survey;
 To avoid the cutting of fruit trees like apple and peach, alignment might be
adjusted. However, an alternative for provision of Towers with maximum height
to achieve the minimum required clearance will also be considered especially at
sites where change of alignment is not possible;
 Adjustment of Towers to provide the minimum required vertical clearance at
crossing points of roads; and
 Based on the site conditions, Towers with adequate height will be used to
provide the required clearance.
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3.4 CONSTRUCTION ASPECTS
3.4.1 Construction Schedule
Proposed construction schedule of the Transmission Lines will be developed at the
detailed design stage and will attach in the ESIA report. The total duration of the
Transmission Lines construction should take about 3 to 5 years. It is anticipated that
construction work will be awarded to more than one contractor and work will be done at
various locations simultaneously. The grid station will also be constructed at the same
pattern and will take up to 3 years.
3.4.2 Construction Camps
Camp sites will be located keeping in view the availability of an adequate area for
establishing camps including parking areas for machinery, stores and workshops,
access to communication and local markets and an appropriate distance from the
sensitive areas in the vicinity. Final locations will be selected by the Contractor with the
approval of site Engineer in-charge. A construction camp area will depend upon
topography and site conditions. It is estimated to establish a worker camp every 50 km
in average along the line, depending upon the land conditions. While, for grid station the
camp will be located inside the boundary wall.
3.4.3 Work Force
The Transmission Lines construction involves many construction activities. For the
purpose of ease, these are lumped into three main groups of activities, namely
foundation laying, Tower erection, and conductor stringing crew including fixing of
hardware and accessories. Accordingly, three types of construction crews are deployed
for the work. The estimated work force required for each group of activities for one (01)
Construction Camp is shown in Table 3.3 below.
Table 1.3: Estimated Work Force Requirement for Proposed 500KV T/L Project
Tower Conductor
Sr. Foundation
Staff Erection Stringing
No. Crew
Crew Crew
1 Site In-charge 1 1 1
2 Site Engineer 1 1 2
3 Supervisor 1 - 4
4 Foreman 1 1 2
5 Assistant Foreman 1 1 2
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Tower Conductor
Sr. Foundation
Staff Erection Stringing
No. Crew
Crew Crew
6 Surveyors 1 - 1
7 Skilled Workers 12 8 14
8 Semi-skilled - 8 14
Workers
9 Unskilled / Helpers 22 21 49
10 Drivers 2 3 4
Total 42 44 93
The total number of crew, skilled and unskilled labor to be employed will depend on the
Contractor’s activity schedule at the time when the contract is awarded. The Contractor
will be advised to hire unskilled labor from the local communities. A training program will
be recommended for unskilled workers at the detailed design stage. For grid station the
construction work is also divided into two major categories i.e. civil works (construction
of office buildings, staff residences etc.) and electrical works (fitting of transformers and
other electrical appliances). The construction labor is expected to be at the same
pattern shown in Table 3.3.
3.4.4 Construction Procedures
This section describe all the stages of the Transmission Lines construction that may
cause a potential impact on the bio-physical and social environments, i.e. preparatory
works that include access roads and the clearance of the ROW, construction of
foundations and erection of Towers. It is also worth mention that the topography of the
area and difficult terrain will involve number of construction procedures may be
transportation of material through donkeys, horse or hand carts or may be in very high
altitudes particularly in areas of Palas Valley, Tailos, Allai etc. will require helicopter
services as well.
a. Access to the Construction Sites
The first section of the proposed Transmission Lines is approachable through
Karakoram Highway up to Pattan. However, in other section of proposed Transmission
Lines route from village Bada Kot Tehsil Palas District Kohistan onwards Sherwan
Tehsil Sherwan District Abbottabad are different hilly areas and difficult terrain where
the Contractor has to develop access tracks.
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The access to proposed grid station site is comparatively easy and approachable from
Jang Bahatar Interchange near Hassan Abdal, District Attock. From that interchange,
the local access routes are present but the development of new access road to reach
the site would also be required.
According to usual terms and conditions, laid down by NTDC, the Contractor will be
bound not to cause any damage to the existing roads and village tracks during
construction works and due to movement of heavy vehicles. However, in case of any
damage, the Contractor will be responsible for its repair. In this regard, NTDC bounds
the Construction Contractor by withholding a 10% amount from the Contractors’ interim
bills submitted to the Engineer for payments to exert the Contractor to complete his
pending works.
b. Clearing of ROW
To minimize the environmental impacts, NTDC normally imposes restrictions on the
clearing of natural vegetation from ROW. This is allowed to the extent that is necessary
for the safe construction and operation of the lines. For this, the area required for the
placement of Tower footings will be completely cleared of vegetation, crops and trees.
In the rest of the ROW, selective clearing will be carried out. Trees more than 2.5m
high, which may obstruct stringing or create hazard/danger to the Transmission Lines,
will be removed. On the other hand, the clearing of dense vegetation is restricted to
what is required for placement of footings and for the assembly and erection of Towers
and wire pulling at site. While no such clearance is allowed in protected forests,
orchards or other areas having fruit bearing trees, except as specifically approved by
the Engineer in the case of having no other alternative. NTDC allows that the cleared
materials such as trees, crops etc., will be the property of landowners. While other
materials such as fossils, coins and antiquities discovered on the site of the work will be
deemed as the property of Government of Pakistan. The clearance of ROW from the
vegetation is normally done by mechanical means.
c. Tower Foundations and Erection
Since the Project is at the planning stage and detailed survey and design will be carried
out at the later stage, the spotting of Tower locations has not been indicated at this
stage of the Project. However, the general procedures for tower foundation and erection
will be as follows.
In order to lay foundation the ditch is excavated by any mechanical and manual
procedure. After fixing steel re-bars and concreting, the ditch is refilled with excavated
material and the site is brought to the original ground level. As such, only four Tower
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pedestals protrude above the ground level by about 0.45 m for normal foundations and
about 1.8 m for pile foundations.
The Tower will be erected in panels of 2 m to 3 m height. The panels will be assembled
on the ground, lifted in parts with the help of Derrick Poles/crane and then joined
together with nuts and bolts, which are tightened at the specified torque.
3.5 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE (O&M)
The 500 kV double Transmission Lines are vital link in the transmission grid system of
Pakistan. Any outage on the line would seriously disrupt the power supply to major load
centers, possibly causing extensive damage and losses. Grid Station Operation (GSO)
Division of NTDC (WAPDA) maintains regular patrolling/ inspection staff for patrolling
and inspection of the lines. NTDC’s patrolling crews will be required to carry out a
general inspection of the Transmission Lines every three (3) months, while a
comprehensive inspection will be carried out every 3 years.
3.6 ANALYSIS OF PROJECT ALTERNATIVES
The analysis of alternatives systematically compares feasible alternatives to the
proposed project site, technology, design, and operation including, the “without project”
situation in terms of their potential environmental impacts; the feasibility of mitigating
these impacts; their capital and recurrent costs; their suitability under local conditions;
and their institutional, training, and monitoring requirements. For each of the
alternatives, the environmental impacts are quantified to the possible extent and
economic values are also incorporated where feasible. A comprehensive analysis would
also include the basis for selecting the particular project design proposed and justify
recommended emission levels and approaches to pollution prevention and abatement.
The ESIA would include the analysis of alternatives based on following considerations:
a. No-Project Alternative
The ESIA will evaluate the ‘no-project’ situation and report the justification for rejecting
this alternative.
b. Siting Alternatives
The siting alternatives for the grid station and transmission line routes will be analyzed.
The environmental and social aspects of these alternatives will be particularly
described. The description will also include the siting process, selection criteria and
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justification for the selected options. While considering various alternatives sites for grid
station and routes for transmission lines, efforts will be made to minimize the
environmental as well as socioeconomic impacts of the selected options. For this task,
close coordination with the NTDC staff, particularly the route survey teams, will be
essentially required.
c. Technical Alternatives
The ESIA will analyze the environmental and socioeconomic aspects of various
technical options available for the Project including the construction techniques, design
options. For this task as well, close liaison with the NTDC technical staff (Planning and
Design departments) will be required.
d. Environmental and Social Considerations
The following criteria would be adopted for the selection of Transmission Lines route and
alternate site for grid station considering the physical, ecological and socio-economic
environments:
 Avoid densely populated areas/towns;
 Avoid indigenous or tribal settlements;
 Avoid cultural, religious and historical buildings;
 Minimize disturbance to the natural habitats of flora and fauna;
 Avoid major birds migratory routes;
 Avoid Wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and game reserves;
 Avoid potentially security vulnerable areas;
 Appropriate distance from the sensitive receptors (for instance, minimum 500
m);
 Avoid crossing large water bodies like lakes, rivers or streams; and
 Avoid crossing major roads, railway tracks and other similar structures and
facilities.
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CHAPTER – 4
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL BASELINE CONDITIONS AND THEIR
ANALYSIS
4.1 INTRODUCTION
The Project Area is composed of Alignment Route of two parallel running 500 kV
transmission lines over a length of about 250 km and strip of 500 meter and 500 kV
Grid Station at Village Pathar Garh (Tehsil Hassan Abdal, District Attock). For
environmental and social assessment Corridor of Impact has been taken for a width
of 500 m. In addition to this offsite impacts, wherever required, have been assessed.
This Chapter gives an overview of the environmental and social baseline information
of Project Area, with special reference to impacts on Project Corridor. The
information has been compiled from secondary and primary resources. Major
environmental components are:
 Physical Environment
 Biological Environment
 Socioeconomic Environment
4.2 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Baseline studies on the physical parameters including land resources, topography,
geology, seismicity, climate, water resources etc. are indicative of the following
information.
4.2.1 Land Resources
The area for transmission line comprises Guzara forests, State forests, Protected
Forests and privately owned barani and irrigated agriculture land and barren
mountains. So far as the power station area is concerned, it will be constructed
underground in the barren mountains of Village Seo (Dasu), while 500 Kv Grid
Station is located on privately owned semi-barren land near Village Pathar Garh
(Hassan Abdal).
Due to construction of two high voltage transmission lines in already limited usable
land resources will definitely cause negative effects. Most of the project components
fall in hilly area and the land available for agriculture use is in the form of terraces
and very limited. Such terraces exist from Dasu to Pattan, on both banks of Indus
River, in Palas valley, Allai (District Bhattagram), Abbotabad, Mansehra and Haripur.
Therefore, the trend on land resources can be categorized as decreasing.
4.2.2 Topography
The general configuration of land is mountainous with precipitous to gentle slopes.
The individual geomorphic forms of the region include natural rock slopes, scree,
debris covered slopes, debris-flow fans, alluvial fans and river terraces and some
plain areas.
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The terrain varies from the high mountains and steep slopes of Dasu, Pattan, Pallas
Valley, and Bhattagram to relatively gentle slopes of Abbotabad, Mansehra and
Haripur districts. At places, level ground exists along the route of transmission line,
but in the territory of Hassan Abdal, the flat land is available and agriculture farming
is practiced by the farmers.
Like any other developmental activity, the transmission line construction will be
causing land erosion coupled with removal of vegetation at places within the project
corridor. The overall aesthetic effect of proposed transmission lines is likely to be
negative, because mostly the lines will cross natural landscapes and private
properties.
Fig. 4.1: High Mountains of Kohistan District Fig. 4.2: Plain Areas near Khalabutt (Haripur)
4.2.3 Geology
The geology of project area varies considerably, as the transmission line passes
through various geological regions. The rocks of Dasu, Pattan, and Allai are of
Cretaceous age. Drosh formation to the south of Main Karakorat Thrust (MKT),
thickly bedded porphyritic andesite with phenycrysts of plagioclase, pyroxene and
hornblende, thin interbeds of red shales are common within the volcanoes.
The rocks of the palas valley belong to Ultra mafic Patan complex of Metaplutonic
origin and garnet granulite of jijal complex. Geological units belonging to the Patan
complex in the project area are diorite / granodiorite and gabbro.
The geology of the Battagram and Chhapargram area mainly comprises granitic
gneiss, schist and alluvium (unconsolidated material). The rocks of this section
belong to Hazara granitic complex. Gneisses are the product of high grade regional
metamorphism. Schists are mainly composed of quartz as granular aggregates,
muscovite (appearing) as colorless to light green and where associated with biotite
tone produce schistose texture. The alluvial deposits of Bhattal are composed of
slightly reworked and weathered material derived from the Mansehra granite along
with silt clay/clayey silt, gravels and boulders occur at some places.
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The geological features of Oogi, Sherwan (District Mansehra) and Haripur may be
described as a section of Earth’s Crust coming well within the ar ea of Himalayan
disturbance. This area is a part of land formations developed at the foothills of
Himalayan Range through tectonic events subsequent to those that caused building
of Himalaya. The rock formations include extremely folded beds of various types of
sandstones, clay-stones and silt stones. The overall geological features and rock
types of the whole project corridor are depicted in Fig. 4.3.
Fig. 4.3: Geological Map of Project Area (Source: Geological Map of KPK, Pakistan 2006, by GSP)
4.2.4 Soils
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Soils in the region of Dasu, Pattan and Palas are derived from mixed source of
alluvial deposits of Indus River, Kohistan River and Nullahs and colluviums from
weathered rock material from side slopes of the valleys. The soils are gravely/gritty
silt loam, loam to sandy loam. The lands at the valley floor and low-level terraces at
the side slopes of the mountains are used for agriculture purposes, while at upper
level the slopes are barren in Dasu and Pattan, while in Palas Valley, these are
covered with grasses and shrubs with occasional trees. Here the lands are used for
grazing.
Because of very steep slopes of the mountains in Dasu and Pattan, the soil material
rarely get chance to remain intact along the slopes. Consequently, the area is not of
any economic use from agriculture or grazing point of view and even for establishing
settlements.
The alluvial deposits of Battagram and Mansehra area are composed of slightly
reworked and weathered material derived from the Mansehra granite along with silt
clay/clayey silt, gravels and boulders occur at some places and are covered with
vegetation.
In Abbottabad and Haripur Districts, the loess plain (Rash Plain) consists of deep
deposits of wind laid material (loess). These aeolian deposits are probably of
Pleistocene age. The surface of the plain is mainly level to nearly level or gently
undulating. In view of the age of the deposits, any relief has to be attributed to
erosion rather than to deposition. In most of the area, recognized as loess plain,
there is no serious gully erosion. Soil texture in the landform is very uniform locally
but ranges from silt loam to silt clay over greater distances.
The soils of Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra districts are very fertile and used for
agriculture purposes. The whole area is covered with vegetation.
4.2.5 Seismology
In general, the project area lies in seismically active area. The active faults in the
vicinity of project area include; Main Mantle Thrust (MMT), Kohistan Fault, Kamila
Strike Strip Fault and Jamila Shear Fault. A brief history of earthquakes occurred in
and around the vicinity of project corridor is described in forthcoming paragraphs.
Before the establishment of seismological observatories, which began at the
beginning of 20th century, intensity data collected from the historical records was the
only source of earthquake information. Historical Earthquake data is a general
account of damage/ loss to life (human & animal) and property. The historical pre-
instrument earthquake data has been collected from the description of the
earthquakes given in the memoirs or records of travelers, historians and writers.
Such earthquakes catalogues have been compiled by Oldham, 1893, Heukroth and
Karim, 1970, Ambraseys et al. 1975 and Quittmeyer and Jacob, 1979, from this data
it reflects that northern Pakistan as a whole has remained a house of prominent
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earthquakes. Taxila (25 A.D.) event is probably the most conspicuous one that
changed style of building-construction out rightly. An important value of intensity data
is that it establishes some understanding of the level of the damage that can be
expected to occur in a given region. The catalogue of historical earthquakes for this
region is rather sparse and probably highly incomplete. Since 1700’s, the historical
earthquake data for the northern areas of Pakistan are few and mainly concentrated
on the centres of colonial administration. The important tremors for which damage
data is available are as follows:
 Aristobulus of Cassandreia described that the first known historical account of
seismicity of northern part of Pakistan in the fourth century B.C. He
accompanied Alexander on his expedition to India, who pointed out that the
country above the river Jhelum was subjected to earthquakes, which caused
the ground to open up so much, that even the river beds were changed
(Ambraseys et al., 1975).
 An important historical earthquake occurring in northern Pakistan was the
destructive earthquake of 25 A.D., which ruined the city of Taxila, to which the
intensity of IX-X has been assigned (Ambraseys et al., 1975). The effect of
this earthquake still can be seen in the excavated remains of Jandail, Sirkap,
and Dharmarajika. The building methods after this earthquake changed,
including reduction in the height of buildings, improvements in masonry
bracing density, and making the foundations more secure.
 On March 25, 1869, a large earthquake occurred in the Hindukush region,
strongly felt at Kohat, Peshawar, Lahore, and at Khodjend and Tashkent, the
shaking lasting 20 seconds;
 On January 20, 1902, a large earthquake caused damage in the Chitral area
and was felt widely in the Punjab and up to Shimla;
 On July 8, 1909 an earthquake caused destruction in the region of Mankial
and Kalam in the Swat valley where Lady Minot’s Hospital wa s damaged and
many houses collapsed, killing 10 people and cattle. Damage area extends to
Dir, Karori and Alipurai and was felt in Gilgit, Besham, and to the north up to
Tashkent; and
 The epicentral intensity of all these earthquakes is estimated to be not greater
than VIII on the Modified Mercalli (MM) intensity scale.
The instrumental recording of earthquakes started in 1904 but very few seismic
stations were established in the South Asian region until the 1960’s. However
subsequent installation of high quality seismographs by international agencies has
resulted in improvement of the quality of earthquake recording in this region
improved and has resulted in a better understanding of the seismicity of Pakistan.
The epicenters of three well-studied earthquakes of magnitude 5.9 or above have
been recorded near the project area (Ambraseys, et al., 1975; Jackson & Yielding,
1982). These earthquakes are:
 Patan earthquake (28 December 1974); magnitude (Mb) 5.9; close to the
surface expression of MMT;
 Hamran earthquake (3 September 1972); magnitude (Mb) 6.3; within the
Kohistan Island Arc;
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 Darel earthquake (12 September 1981); magnitude (Mb) 6.1; within the
Kohistan Island Arc; and
The Kashmir earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck the northern part of Pakistan on
October 08, 2005, causing widespread damage and casualties in Azad Kashmir and
adjoining areas of KPK. The earthquake was followed by a series of more than
thousand aftershocks. Location of epicenter of this earthquake and affected area is
shown in Fig. 4.4.
Fig. 4.4: Geological Map of Project Area (Source: United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Relief Web.)
4.2.6 Climate
The Project area falls in very cold, humid climatic zone of Pakistan and is
characterized by large seasonal variation. The climate in this region is mainly
determined by the altitude and precipitation in the form of rain and snowfall in some
areas. The project area is influenced by two rainy seasons: (i) south-eastern
monsoon during summer: and (ii) western winds during winter. The lower altitudes
generally experience humid to sub-humid sub-tropical conditions, the higher altitudes
experience temperate conditions.
For the purpose of the Project, the climatic data of two meteorological stations has
been obtained from meteorological department which included; Pattan (730 m asl)
and Kamra (303 m asl). The climatic data for Pattan is available for last 7 years (i.e.
2005-2011) and for Kamra the data is available for last 11 years (i.e.2001-2011) and
presented below on mean monthly basis. Various parameters to establish the
climatic baseline of the project area are discussed in the subsequent paragraphs and
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complete climatic record of Pattan and Kamra Stations is attached as Appendices
4.1 and 4.2 respectively.
a) Temperature
Fig. 4.5 and 4.6 depict average monthly maximum and minimum temperatures of
two stations, viz., Pattan and Kamra respectively. It may be seen from the graphs
that in Pattan the temperature rises rapidly until June. With advent of monsoon in
July the temperature drops. The months of December and January experience a
severe drop in temperature, and in areas above 1‘800 m asl the temperature falls
below the freezing point. Severe frost occurs during these months, often
damaging budding plants such as apple, pear and cherry. Summer is also
marked with monsoon rains, which occur usually in July/August.
40.0
Min Temp
35.0 Max Temp
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Fig. 4.5: Mean Maximum and Minimum Temperature (oC) throughout the year
(Pattan Station)
45.00
Max Temp
40.00
Min Temp
35.00
30.00
25.00
20.00
15.00
10.00
5.00
0.00
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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Fig. 4.6: Mean Maximum and Minimum Temperature (oC) throughout the year
(Kamra Station)
b) Humidity
Mean monthly humidity levels (%age) for both the stations are shown in Fig. 4.7
and 4.8. For Pattan station, the highest humidity is observed in February and
lowest in June. With the advent of monsoon the humidity increases during July
and August and declines from October onwards. In case of Kamra, the humidity
is highest in December and Lowest in July. As seen from graph, the humidity
shows fluctuations throughout the year.
140.0
0800 AM
120.0 0500 PM
100.0
80.0
60.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Fig 4.7: Mean Monthly Humidity Levels (% age) at 08:00 AM and 05:00PM
(Pattan Station)
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160.00
0500 PM 0800 AM
140.00
120.00
100.00
80.00
60.00
40.00
20.00
0.00
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Fig 4.8: Mean Monthly Humidity Levels (% age) at 08:00 AM and 05:00PM
(Kamra Station)
c) Rainfall
As shown in graphs, the rainfall varies considerably both in volume and
distribution throughout the year. In Pattan, the maximum average rainfall occurs
in month of February while for Kamra, the rainfall reaches the peak in August. In
upper regions like Dasu, Pattan, Palas Valley, Allai etc. the winter rainfall is more
significant than summer precipitation. In lower regions like Hasanabdal,
Mansehra and Abbottabad, the situation becomes vice versa.
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Dec 97.6
Nov 66.9
Oct 42.6
Sep 51.9
Aug 61.4
July 110.9
Jun 54.7
May 80.0
Apr 138.3
Mar 173.5
Feb 266.2
Jan 132.3
0.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 200.0 250.0 300.0
Fig 4.9: Mean Annual Rainfall Pattern (Pattan Station)
Dec 25.4
Nov 16.8
Oct 21.5
Sep 82.3 275.2
Aug
Jul 227.9
Jun 62.0
May 24.8
Apr 66.9
Mar 68.9
Feb 106.9
Jan 41.4
0.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 200.0 250.0 300.0
Fig 4.10: Mean Annual Rainfall Pattern (Kamra Station)
d) Winds
In Pattan Area, the winds normally blow from northeast morning time (at 0800
am) and southwest at evening (at 0500 pm). At Kamra Station, the predominant
winds are normally blowing from northeast in winter and southeast in summer at
morning time (at 0800 am) and northwest in winter and southeast in summer at
evening (at 0500 pm).
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Fig. 4.11 and 4.12 show the trend of wind speed (knots) during the year.
8.0
8:00 AM
7.0
5:00 PM
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Fig 4.11: Wind Speed (knots) in Morning and Evening times, over the Year
(Pattan Station)
25.0
08 00 AM
05 00 PM
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Fig 4.12: Wind Speed (knots) in Morning and Evening times, over the Year
(Pattan Station)
e) Thunder Storms
Fig.4.13 and 4.14 indicate the frequency of thunder storms throughout the year
which has been the highest in August i.e. average 4.9 nos. in Pattan and highest in
July i.e. average 15.7 nos. in Kamra. However there is an abrupt decrease in
number of storms from September to December at both stations. In winter months,
the incidence of thunder storms is negligible.
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5
4.9
4.5 4.3
4 3.7
3.6
3.5
3
2.4
2.5 2.3
2 1.7
1.5
1 0.7
0.6
0.5 0.1
0 0
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Fig 4.13: Frequency of Thunder Storms throughout the Year (Pattan Station)
16.0
15.7
15.4
14.0
12.0
9.5
8.6
10.0
7.5
7.0
8.0
6.1
6.0
3.5
4.0
1.8
1.5
1.5
0.5
2.0
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Fig 4.14: Frequency of Thunder Storms throughout the Year (Kamra Station)
4.2.7 Ambient Air Quality and Noise Levels
In the Study Area, major sources of air pollution are mobile vehicles. No industrial
pollution was observed. Other sources of ambient air pollution are the exhausts from
kitchens residences and due to combustion of wood for heating purposes in winter
season. As such the monitoring of air quality with any equipment was not recorded
and would be done when full fledge EIA will be prepared by the consultants.
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There is no significant industrial unit in the Study Area. Main noise sources are traffic
and commercial activities in towns. During site visits, noise levels at various locations
in the Project area were measured with Digital Sound Level Meter Model AR-824.
The results are tabulated below:
Table 4.1: Noise Levels at selected Locations in the Project Corridor
Referen Avera
Date Time dB(A)
ce Point ge
Tunnel
Boring
Site near
27-11- 1:04 70. 69. 68. 71. 73. 71. 70. 71. 72. 73.
Proposed 70.9
12 PM 0 6 3 2 2 0 8 0 6 0
Power
House
Dasu
Komila
27-11- 1:30 73. 74. 72. 72. 73. 73. 72. 73. 74. 73.
Bazar 73.2
12 PM 1 0 8 0 2 1 8 6 0 9
(Dasu)
27-11- 2:40 67. 69. 68. 66. 67. 65. 64. 63. 65. 66.
Pattan 67.1
12 PM 1 3 3 4 5 0 9 8 0 8
Shalkhan
28-11- 12:30 67. 69. 68. 66. 67. 65. 64. 63. 65. 66.
dabad 67.1
12 PM 1 3 3 4 5 0 9 8 0 8
(Palas)
Banna 29-11- 11:00 46. 48. 47. 48. 48. 46. 52. 53. 50. 51.
49.2
Allai 12 AM 1 9 8 8 6 7 0 1 6 6
Darwaza
Village
13-12- 1:30 46. 47. 45. 47. 44. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47.
near 46.1
12 PM 1 0 6 3 2 6 5 0 2 0
Tarbella
Lake
Table 4.2: WHO Guideline Values for Community Noise in Specific
Environments
Laeq LAmax,
Specific Environment
(dB) fast (dB)
Outdoor living area 55 -
School class rooms and pre-schools (indoors) 35 -
School, playground (outdoors) 55 -
Hospital, ward rooms (indoors) 30 40
Hospital, treatment rooms (indoors) 1 -
Industrial, commercial, shopping and traffic areas 70 110
(indoors and outdoors)
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Accordingly, the noise levels in the Project area are generally lower than the
permissible limits of 85 dBA as fixed by Pak-EPA and also adopted by Provincial
EPAs. However, while comparing with the WHO noise guidelines that prescribes a
limit of 55 dBA with respect to receptors in outdoor areas (Refer: Table 4.2), the
noise levels at various places in Project area exceed this limit.
Due to movement of machinery during construction of transmission lines and grid
station, the ambient air quality and noise levels will be disturbed. But the impact will
be temporary and local i.e. in the project corridor and its close proximity.
4.2.9 Water Resources
The major surface water sources in the Project area include River Indus (Dasu to
Pattan), Tarbella Lake (near Khalabatt Township, Haripur) and River Siran. The
other resources are nullahs or Khawars and fresh water springs/ waterfalls. From
Dasu to Pattan, there are about 17 nos. of freshwater springs/waterfalls and River
Kohistan falling in the Indus. Some are perennial and others are seasonal. The
discharge of these springs depends upon the intensity of annual rainfall and snowfall
and extent of the respective catchments. Therefore, the discharges of these springs
increase in summer due to heavy rainfall and snow melts and reduces in winter.
The main Nullahs/Khawars in the remaining strip of project corridor are; Allai Khawar
and Karkat Nullah (Banna Allai, District Bhattagram), Shamdharra Kati Nullah
(Village Shamdharra, Oogi District Mansehra), Katha Nullah (Village Khaki, District
Mansehra), Dour River (Near Village Darwaza, District Haripur), Harro River (near
Chhaprian Village, Hassanabdal District Attock), Chablat Nullah (Katcha Jallo,
Hassanabdal, District Attock). At higher elevation (i.e. Dasu, Pattan, Palas, Allai, and
Bhattagram), normally the water tanks are constructed at spring locations to regulate
the water supply and to improve accessibility to the water flow.
The ground water is almost unavailable from Dasu to Battagram. While in lower
areas viz., Abbottabad, Mansehra, Harripur and Hassanabdal, the ground water is
available at the depth varying from 100ft to 140 ft. The water is of good quality and
used for drinking purposes, while in upper areas, spring is considered to be of good
quality and used for drinking. In Hassanabdal, the tube wells have been installed
and water is used for irrigation purposes.
Due to access routes/pathways for transmission lines construction, the route of
surface water bodies like springs and nullahs may be altered. Water quality can be
impacted not only by work within a stream/nullah or Indus River but also by nearby
clearing and construction activities. It can also increase erosion of adjacent soils
causing sediment to be deposited into the water body, especially during rain events.
Construction often requires the building of temporary bridges across small channels,
which if improperly installed may damage banks and cause erosion. These water
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bodies are designated as special resources, which have local and regional
importance. These impacts would create problematic situations for the population
benefitted from these water resources. Hence, the overall trend is expected to be
decreasing.
Fig. 4.15: A Nullah/Khawar falling in Indus River - Fig. 4.16: A view of Indus River near proposed Power
about 15km Upstream of Pattan Town Station at Dasu
4.3 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
Various topics to be discussed under the heading “Biological Environment” include:
Flora, Wildlife and Fauna, Protected Areas, Wetlands, Bird Flyway Number 7 and
Palas as Natural Heritage Site or a Biosphere Reserve or a Protected Area.
4.3.1 Flora
The whole project area (i.e. from Dasu to Hassan Abdal) is rich in all types of
vegetation including wood trees, fruit trees, herbs and shrubs. From Dasu to Pattan,
the mountain tops are almost empty, while the vegetation is present in valleys along
the river. In Pallas Valley, Allai, Bhattagram, Abbottabad and Mansehra regions, the
mountains tops and valleys are lush green. The hills are covered with forests of
broad leaf and pine trees in accordance with the altitude. Fruit trees are also present
and generally found in the courtyards of the farming communities.
Major wood tree species existing along the Project corridor include; Chir (Pinus
roxburghii), Kail (Pinus wallichiana), Deodar (Cedrus deodara), Oak (Quercus
baloot), Olive (Olea cuspidate), Phulai (Acacia modesta), Gurgura (Monotheca
buxifolia), Kahu (Olea cuspidate), Sufaida (Eucalyptus spp.), Kikar (Acacia nilotica),
Phulai (Acacia modesta), Poplar (Populus ciliata), Batangi (Pyrus pachia), Willow
(Salix spp.), Ailanthus (Ailanthus altissima), Shisham (Dalbergia sisso), Beri
(Zyziphus jajuba), Bakain (Melea azedarie) and Toot (Morus alba).
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Among fruit trees; Walnut (Juglans regia), Amlok (Diospyros lotus), Bird Cherry
(Prunus padus), Pomegranate (Punica granatum), Apple (Malus domestica), Pear
(Mangifera indica), Peach (Prunus persica) and Citrus fruits can be seen along the
project corridor.
Fig. 4.17: Thickly Vegetated (Pine Trees) Hills near Allai District Fig. 4.18: Natural Vegetation in the Project Corridor near
Bhattagram Sherwan Town, District Abbottabad
The construction of two high voltage transmission lines will involve tree cutting under
the TL within the corridor. The cutting will be done due to clearance for access
routes, tower foundations and at the stage of stringing. The strip of about 10 to 12
meter under one 500 kV transmission line is kept clear forever to avoid the
Electromagnetic incidences. 4.3.2 Wildlife and Fauna
The whole tract inhabits a variety of wildlife and fauna and following mammals,
reptiles and birds make the area rich and colorful in natural fauna.
a. Mammals
Common mammals found in the Project area include: Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), Asiatic
Jackal (Canis aureus), Kashmir Fox (Vulpes vulpes), Yellow-throated Marten (Martes
flavigula), Stone Marten (Martes foina), Mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii), Jungle Cat
(Felis chaus), Asiatic or Himalayan Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus), Brown Bear
(Ursus arctos), Himalayan Musk Deer (Moschus chrysogaster), Himalayan or Grey
Goral (Naemorhedus goral), Snow Leopard ( Uncia uncial), Leopard Cat
(Prionailurus bengalensis), Hare (Lepus Capensis), Markhor (Capra falconeri),
Porcupine (Hystrix indica) and monkeys. Domestic animals include goats, sheep,
buffaloes, cows, donkeys, moles etc.
b. Reptiles
As the terrain is hilly, reptiles are also common in the tract. Various types of snakes
are found such as Cobra, Phissi and rat eaters. In addition to snakes, lizards are
also present in the area. Common reptiles of the project area include snakes, krait,
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frog, lizards, etc. Scorpions and spiders are other poisonous creatures of the area. A
list of main reptilian species is given as under:
Table 4.3: Reptiles in the Project Area
Common Name Scientific Name
Garden Lizard Calotes versicolor
Monitor Lizard Varanus bengalensis
Krait Bungraus caeruleus
Russel’s Viper Vipera russel
Cobra Naja naja
Saw Scaled Viper Echis carinatus
c. Birds
Avifauna of the Study Area is rich, colorful and diverse. Important resident bird
species are Shikra, Myna, Ducks, Pigeons, Crows, Sparrows, Partridges, etc. and
ome fowls like Chir & Kaleej Pheasants are found. Mountain crows and dove are
found in large number. Some of the most attractive birds like Western Tragopan
(Tragopan melanocephalus), Koklass Pheasant (Pucrasia macrolopha biddulphi)
and Himalayan Monal Pheasant (Lophophorus impejanus) are present in Palas
Valley. However, these have been now reduced to a few in numbers due to the
excessive hunting and netting. Other birds frequently sighted in the project tract are
given below:
Table 4.4: Bird Species in the Project Area
Common Name Scientific Name
Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax
Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga
Merlin Falco columbarius
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Himalayan Griffon vulture Gyps himalayaensis
Chukar Alectoris chukar
Slaty-headed Parakeet Psittacula himalayana
Black–rumped flameback Dinopium benghalense
Crested Lark Galerida cristata
Plain Martin Riparia paludicola
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
White Wagtail Motacilla alba
White-browed Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis
White-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenys
Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii
Plumbeous Water Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosus
Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata
Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata
Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe deserti
Blue Whistling Thrush Myiophonus caeruleus
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Blyth‘s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum
Lesser White-throat Sylvia curruca
Brook‘s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus subviridis
Blyth‘s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus regulaides
Rook Corvus frugilegus
House sparrow Passer domesticus
Russet sparrow Passer hispaniolensis
Indian Silverbill Lonchura malabarica
Large billed crow Corvus macrorhynchus
Himalayan Woodpecker Dendropus himalayansis
Black Kite Milvus migrans
d. Aquatic Fauna/Fish
The major surface water bodies of the project area include; Indus River, Tarbella
Lake, Kohistan River, Siran River and a number of nullahs/khawars. The prominent
aquatic life of these water bodies are; fish, phytoplankton’s (e.g. spirogyra) and
zooplanktons (e.g. paramecium) benthic insects, larvae of mayfly, caddis fly
mosquito larvae, dragon fly, stone fly and water mite. Common fish species found in
Indus River and Tarbella Lake are given in Table 4.5.
Table 4.5: Fish Species in River Indus and Tarbella Lake
Common Name Scientific Name
Cold water cat fish Glyptosternum reticulatum
Snow carp Schizothorax plagiostomus
- Schizothorax plagiostomus
- Racoma labiate
- Schizopyge esocinus
- Triplophysa choprai
- Schistura naseeri
- Glyptosternum reticulatum
Seenghara Mystus seenghala
Masher Tor tor, Tor putitora
Mullah Schizothorax spp.
Goonch Bagarius bagarius
Sunnee Cirrhinus reba
Daula Channa punctatus
Saul Channa marulius
Mullee Wallago attu
Talapia Oreochromis mosombica
Bam Mastacembelus armatus
Pari Notopterus notopterus
Sareeha Labeo gonius
Kharni Puntius sarana
Rahu Labeo rohita
Thaila Catla catla
4.3.3 Protected Areas
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 4
In Pakistan, the protected areas are classified into three main categories viz., Wildlife
Sanctuaries, National Parks and Game Reserves. In the project corridor, there is no
Government notified protected area.
4.3.4 Wetlands
Wetlands cover approximately 9.7% or 7,800,000 ha of the total area of Pakistan.
Wetlands in the country are mainly found along the Indus River and some other
rivers and in the floodplains. The wetlands are characterized by a large biodiversity.
Their significance is attributable to the wide diversity of species that they support. In
all, eighteen threatened species of wetlands dependent mammals are found in the
country, twenty threatened bird species are supported by Pakistan's wetlands in
addition to twelve reptiles and two endemic species of amphibians. Pakistan's
wetlands also support between 191-198 indigenous freshwater fish species,
including fifteen endemics and a total of 788 marine and estuarine fish species.
The Indus valley forms the main wetland artery in the country. The major wetlands
falling in the vicinity of project corridor are Indus River and Tarbela Lake. The
transmission lines run on both sides of River Indus from Dasu to Pattan/Palas (about
32 km) and might be some towers located in or very close the River Bank. The other
wetland near project corridor is Tarbella Lake. The Lines pass at Eastern side of
Tarbella Lake near the Villages Darwaza, Khalabat Township and Narra, District
Haripur. The confirmation of tower foundations in or near these wetlands will come
from final design of the project. The tentative locations of Indus River and Tarbella
Lake along the Transmission Lines route are represented Figs. 4.19 and 4.20
respectively.
Indus River
TLs Route
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 4
Fig. 4.19: Indus River along the Transmission Lines Route from Dasu to Pattan
(about 32km)
TL Route
Tarbella Lake
Fig. 4.20: Tarbella Lake near Transmission Lines Route (Khalabatt Township,
District Haripur)
4.3.5 Birds Migratory Route Number 7 (Environmental Hotspot)
The famous route for migratory birds from Siberia to various destinations in Pakistan
over Karakorum, Hindu Kush, and Suleiman Ranges along Indus River down to the
delta is known as International Migratory Bird Route Number 7; it is known as the
Indus Flyway and is one of the busiest routes in the world. According to estimates
based on regular counts between 700,000 and 1,200,000 birds arrive in Pakistan
through Indus Flyway every year. This route is also called “The Green Route”. The
birds start migration on this route in November; February is the peak time and by
March they start to fly back home. These periods may vary depending upon weather
conditions in Siberia and/or Pakistan. Some extinguishing species like white headed
duck, houbara, bustard and Siberian crane also travel on this route. The other
migrating birds include; pelicans, cormorants, herons, egrets, bitterns, cranes,
flamingo, teals, mallards, gadwalls and pigeons.
The TL corridor from Dasu to Pattan along the Indus River may pass through this
bird flyway route. Due to construction of Dasu Reservoir, it is likely that the migratory
birds come on the lake and the overhead transmission lines across the Indus Rivers
may have a potential collision hazards for waterfowl and other large birds. Some of
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 4
the expected impacts on migratory birds have been discussed in Chapter 6, but
detailed investigations are required during the Environmental and Social Impact
Assessment (ESIA) study of this project. It is also recommended that in parallel to
ESIA study, the project also undertakes Avian Risk Assessment study.
Migratory
Birds Flyway
Number 7
Fig. 4.21: Migratory Birds Flyway Number 7 and Adjacent Flyways
4.3.6 Palas Valley (Environmental Hotspot)
a. Natural Values of Palas Valley
The Palas Valley contains the most extensive natural forest in the Western
Himalayas and Hindu-Kush Mountains. Other areas of similar forests exist elsewhere
in Pakistan, in India and in the disputed territories of Kashmir. There are also
fragments of forest in Eastern Afghanistan that share some of the values of the
Palas Valley forests. However, none of the other areas is as large as Palas. The
Greater Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh in India shares some of the
features of Palas but it is somewhat smaller and published accounts suggest that it is
suffering from greater disturbance .
The Palas valley supports endangered pheasant, the Western Tragopan (Tragopan
melanocepahalus - IUCN vulnerable). The population of around 1000 birds is almost
certainly larger than any other population of the species. The second largest
population of this species occurs in the Greater Himalayan National Park in India.
Other small isolated populations of this species exist but they are all in areas under
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 4
severe threat from logging and land use change. Unlike other rare Pheasant species
there are no viable captive populations of the Western Tragopan.
The Palas Valley supports populations of at least 7 other species of rare bird
species. Of these Phylloscopus tytleri is classed as near vulnerable, the remaining
are restricted range. It is likely that the populations are amongst the largest and best
protected of these species. The Palas Valley also supports the most viable
populations of the bird species typical of the forests of the western Himalayas. It is
listed by Birdlife International as the IBA.
Populations of mammals found in the Western Himalayas are also found in Palas.
These include Brown and Black Bears, Himalayan Ibex, Markhor, Snow Leopards,
Wolves etc. Inventories now being undertaken of smaller mammals and especially
bats. These are revealing the presence of significant populations of other scarce
species.
A number of plant species are known only from the valley and other species have
been recorded that are scarce or endangered elsewhere in their ranges. Rafiq
(1996) provides the best account of the flora of the Palas Valley although further
studies will almost certainly reveal the presence of many more species of plants. The
best statement of the outstanding value of the flora of the valley is found in Akbar,
2003.
One unique feature of the Palas Valley that has not received much attention in
previous accounts is that it is a complete ecological unit. The isolation of the areas
has resulted in the entire valley being maintained in a relatively pristine condition.
Thus an area of 1400 km2 ranging in elevation from 700 m to 5200 m retains a great
deal of its natural characteristic. Both the winter and summer ranges of much of the
wildlife are included within the valley. This is particularly true of the Western
Tragopan whose population moves seasonally between the North facing slopes in
the summer and the South facing slopes in the winter. The valley is sufficiently large
to support viable populations of all of the larger mammals and to enable them to
make their normal seasonal movements.
b. Forests and Pastures of Palas Valley
Broadleaved Forests: These forests occur in scattered patches from 1‘100 to 1‘800 m
elevation. The canopy is broken by cultivated fields on moderate slopes and nullahs.
On northern aspects these forests occupy an altitudinal range up to 1‘500 m merging
into dry sub-tropical forests below and coniferous forests in the upper reaches. The
principal species are xerophytic evergreen Oak (Quercus baloot), associated by
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 4
Deodar (Cedrus deodara), Olive (Olea cuspidate), Phulai (Acacia modesta), Gurgura
(Monotheca buxifolia), Pomegranate (Punica granatum), Adhatoda vassica, Beri
(Zizyphus nummularia) and Amlok (Diospyros lotus) Undergrowth is generally by
Daphne oleoides, Berberis lycium, Dodonea viscosa and various types of grasses.
Regeneration of oak is unsatisfactory due to unrestricted felling, loping and browsing
of trees.
Blue Pine Forests Blue Pine is the dominant species on North-Western aspects of
Kolai and Batera forests at an altitude ranging from 1‘700 to 2‘700 m. Pine forests
are subjected to heavy felling and encroachment for cultivation. The slopes are
generally moderate with deep soil. On cooler aspects at higher altitudes, Fir and
Spruce get mixed with Pine. The crop is mostly middle-aged although all age classes
are found. The broadleaved associates are Aesculus indica, Quercus ilex, Acer
caesium, Juglans regia and Prunus padus. Undergrowth consists of Viburnum
nervosum, Berberis lycium, lndigofera spp., Cotoneaster bacillaris, Lonicera spp,
Rosa spp. and Parrotia jacquemontiana. Regeneration of Blue Pine in remote areas
is satisfactory while in areas adjoining to habitations it is scanty or absent due to illicit
cuttings and heavy grazing pressure.
Fir/Spruce Forests The forests occupy few compartments in Bela/Kolai and most of
the area in Musha‘ga at an altitude varying from 2‘100 to 3‘200 m. Fir is the dominant
species and tends to purity on Northern aspects at higher altitudes. Scattered Blue
Pine trees are found at higher altitudes. The crop is generally mature to over-mature
lacking young age classes. The forests are in the form of patches separated by
nullahs. Considerable damage to crop is caused due to snow creeping and
avalanches. Dry standing trees are not uncommon. Regeneration of fir is
inadequate, which may be attributed to the thick layer of litter and non-manipulation
of the crop canopy. Many fir saplings die due to constant overhead shade. Spruce
regeneration comes vigorously on favourable sites. The major associates are Birch
(Betula utilis), Walnut (Juglans regia), Oak (Quercus spp.), Maple (Acer caesium),
Horse Chestnut (Aesculus indica), Bird Cherry (Prunus padus), Amlok (Diospryus
lotus) and Popular (Populus cilata). Undergrowth consists of Viburnum spp.,
Parrotopsis spp. Rosa spp. and Prunus spp.
Mixed Coniferous Forests: The forests are composed of varying mixture of some
or all the four major species depending upon aspect and altitude. These forests
occur mostly in Sheryal and Musha‘ga valleys. The exposed southern aspects
contain a mixture of Blue Pine/Deodar in lower reaches and Blue Pine/Spruce on
higher altitudes. Northern aspects are covered by Fir and Spruce with Deodar at
lower elevations due to local variation of aspect and Pine at higher altitudes. The
canopy is broken by nullahs and large patches of broadleaves. Fir and Spruce trees
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are mostly mature to over-mature. Blue Pine in upper and reaches is in stunted form
and over-mature. The forests occupy an elevation zone ranging f rom 1‘800 to 2‘900
meters. Regeneration of Fir and Spruce is hampered either due to thick humus layer
and profuse growth of shrubs or heavy grazing pressure. Blue Pine regeneration is
profuse on favorable sites and is the coloniser species on sites where Fir and Spruce
have been removed. Deodar regeneration is inadequate and found on southern
aspects in lower reaches only. Walnut (Juglans regia), Oak (Quercus spp.), Maple
(Acer caesium), Horse Chestnut (Aesculus indica), Bird Cherry (Prunus padus),
Amlok (Diospryus lotus), Popular (Populus ciliata), Birch (Betula utilis), Parrotia
(Parratopsis iacouemontiana) and Yew (Taxus baccata) are major associates.
Predominantly undergrowth, according to order of occurrence, comprises of
Viburnum nervosum, Indigofera sp., Rosa sp., Berberis lycium, Artemisia maritima,
and Cotoneaster bacillaris.
Deciduous Forests: Sub-tropical broad-leaved deciduous forest is found at lower
elevation along the Indus River and lower reaches of Palas valley. The main species
includes Acacia modesta, Olea ferruginea, Zizyphus sativa, and Quercus baloot.
Scattered trees of Fraxinus can also been seen at bottom of the valley.
Sub-Alpine Scrub: This type of forest is found above mixed forests of Fir/Spruce
and Blue Pine in Musha‘ga, Kolai and Kunsher Sub Valleys from 3‘300 to 4‘300
meters elevation. The main species is Birch (Betula utilis). The associate shrubs are
Salix spp., Juniperus spp., Rosa webbiana, Prunus spp., Rhamnus spp., Ephedra
geradiana and Rhododendron spp. The plants utilize water from glaciated peaks.
Growth is slow and plants in stunted form due to high altitude, severe cold and short
growth season. The bushy trees are hacked by nomads in summer for firewood.
Alpine Pastures: Alpine pastures occupy an elevation zone from 3‘350 to 4‘300 m.
The pastures extend over large areas and make watershed ridge with Kaghan and
Allai valleys in the east and south, respectively. The dominant Alpine Pastures in
Palas Valley are Chour, Moru, Ganja Sar, Ledi, Gedar, Tiko Sar, Shaddad, and
Maidan. The biggest alpine pasture is that of Chour, which is best known for its
luxuriant grass growth. These pastures are depicted in Fig. 4.22.
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 4
Fig.4.22: Pastures of Palas Valley
Graziers occupy these pastures during summer (June-September) along with their
cattle, small ruminants and families. Alpine Pastures contain rich herbaceous and
shrubby flora such as Juniperus squamata, J. Communis spp., saxatilis and dwarf
spp. of Salix with abundant herbaceous flora. These include Delphinium uncinatum,
Dracocephalum nutens, Pumex dentalus, Chenopodium album, Polygonum
barbatum, Polygonatum alfins, Digitalis spp., Conzya spp., Achillea millefolium,
Caltha palustris, Nipeta alipteca, Microsisybrum spp., Ranunculus lactus and
grasses like Setaria viridis, Panicum anulatum and Festuca spp.
c. Biodiversity Status of Forests of Palas Valley
During forest inventory, KPK Forest Department assessed biodiversity status of
individual forest compartments. Accordingly, the forest compartments have been
classified into 3 categories, viz., with Rich, Fair and Poor biodiversity. There are total
235 compartments in the Palas Valley constituting 32 Rich, 98 Fair and 105 Poor
compartments. The spread of different types of compartments are depicted in Fig.
4.23.
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 4
Fig. 4.23: Biodiversity Status of Forests of Palas Valley
d. Palas as “Natural Heritage Site or a Biosphere Reserve or a Protected Area ”
The Palas Valley could qualify as "natural heritage" in accordance with the first two
bullet points of article 2 of the World Heritage Convention (WHC).
The Himalayan Jungle Project and subsequently the Palas Conservation and
Development Project (PCDP) have been trying to get the Palas Valley recognized as
a Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO or declared as a Biosphere Reserve
under the Man & Biosphere Program of UNESCO. For this reference is made
Consultancy Report # 12 of PCDP Consultant. The Executive Summary of the same
is placed at Appendix-4.3. Even though there has been the full support of the
Government of Pakistan, the efforts have so far not been fruitful. PCDP in this
connection also arranged a consultant to present the case; even this did not prove
fruitful. As Palas valley is owned by the local communities who have a very strong
writ, the KPK Wildlife Department could not bring this area under the umbrella of
Protected Area System thus failing to award the status of any of the three Protected
Area categories viz., Wildlife Sanctuary, National Park or even a Game Reserve.
The efforts to designate Palas Valley and award some sort of protected status are
still continuing.
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 4
The Palas valley forests are considered the only “Un Touch Forest” in Pakistan,
hence it is identified as the major environmental hotspot of the project area.
Therefore, it requires much detailed studies/investigations at the time for ESIA study
and final design stage. The ESIA studies will analyze possibility of TL avoiding Palas
valley to the extent possible or use the corridor through the valley, which has
relatively poor environmental resources.
4.4 SOCIO ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
This section provides a generalized glimpse of socioeconomic settings and profile of
the project corridor. Various parameters to be included are population, educational
and health facilities, public infrastructure, poverty levels etc.
4.4.1 Population
Around 95 percent of the entire transmission line will be constructed in the 5 districts
of Hazara division of KPK province of Pakistan. The total area of the Hazara division
is over 17084 square kilometer houses a total of 3.53 million population of which only
8.8% is urban (in 3 districts -Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra) while in the
remaining 91.2 percent is rural. District Battagram and Kohistan with 52% of the total
area (8794 sq.km) have not a single settlement to be called as urban. The overall
population density in the entire region is 271 persons per sq.km ranging from the
highest 448 persons in Abbottabad to the lowest 66 persons in Kohistan. The
average household size in the entire Hazara division is around 6.5 persons. The
female to 100 male ratio widely varies between 98 in Mansehra to 100 in Abbottabad
and Haripur and 107 in Battagram and 81 in Kohistan. The higher ratio of women is
in Battagram and Kohistan districts is due to Polygamy.
The proposed line ends up in the vicinity of village pathar Garh in District Attock,
some 6-7 Km from district boundary of Haripur. The village is included in the list of
villages where consultations were held.
Table 4.6: Area and Demographic Indicators for Districts enroute TL
Density of Average HH
Area Population
No District Population Size
(Sq.km) (000)
(sq.km) (persons)
1 Attock1 1518 1,518 221 5.8
2 Haripur 1725 0,692 400 6.6
3 Abbot Abad 1967 0,880 448 6.4
1
District Attock is included in this table because village Pathar Garh may face two types of impacts –
one from the transmission line and other from purchase of land for Grid station.
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4 Mansehra 4570 1,152 252 6.7
5 Battagram 1302 0,307 204 6.6
6 Kohistan 7492 0,500 066 6.7
Total 18574 5,049 271 6.5
The 250 km long 130 m wide COI of the transmission line will traverse through only
0.15 percent of the total area. Based on the overall density of population for the
entire region only 0.14 percent (7182 persons or 1100 households) are expected to
face some impact during the construction of this transmission line.
4.4.2 The HDI Index of Hazara Division
The estimated Human Development Index (HDI) of Hazara division is 0.5642 which is
ranked between medium to low. The medium level human development is defined as
the estimated HDI value of more than 0.5. The table 4.7 and Fig. 4.24 below show
that the districts with more than 0.5 HDI value are Abbottabad (0.625), Haripur
(0.616) and Mansehra (0.569) respectively. The remaining two districts i.e.
Battagram (0.432) and Kohistan (0.388) with HDI value less than 0.5 and thus come
in the category of “low level human development”. The human development index
for health (0.614) is in the medium category as against education (0.491) and
income (0.468) in the lower level of human development.
1
0.9
0.8
0.7 0.625 0.616
0.6 0.569
0.5
0.432
0.388
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Abot Abad Haripur Mansehra Battagram Kohistan
Fig. 4.24: HDI Indices of COI Districts (2008)
Table 4.7: HDI Indices of COI Districts (2008)
2
Indices of Multiple Deprivations and Human Development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, 2011.
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HDI Value Against Indicators
District Overall HDI Value
Education Health Income
Abbot Abad 0.625 0.654 0.628 0.592
Haripur 0.616 0.580 0.631 0.635
Mansehra 0.569 0.595 0.659 0.453
Battagram 0.432 0.388 0.571 0.339
Kohistan 0.388 0.239 0.604 0.321
Overall 0.564 0.491 0.614 0.468
Source: Indices of Multiple Deprivations and Human Development KPK, UNDP-SPRSM
Project, table A.9.1, page 41.
4.4.3 Poverty and Multiple Deprivations Indices
The overall level of multiple deprivations against 18 indicators in Hazara division is
42.6 percent. IMD broadly addresses publicly provided services and infrastructure
besides income, education and health components The estimated magnitude of
index of multiple deprivations (IMD) suggests that about the it is highest in Kohistan
(67.2 percent) and Battagram ((55.3%) and relatively low in Abbottabad (33.9%),
Haripur (35.1%) and Mansehra (39.7%) respectively. Highest deprivation is
estimated in housing sector where about 48.7 percent population of Hazara division
is deprived. The ratio of deprived population in housing is highest in Kohistan
(69.08%) as against only 36.22% in Haripur. Health is the second highest deprived
sector with 34.9% of the total population is without health facilities. District Kohistan
again is the highest deprived district with 62.3%. Education sector follow health
sector where around 38% of the total population is deprived of health facilities. The
corresponding ratio is highest in Kohistan (66.7%) and Battagram (49.1%) districts.
On economic indices the situation is somewhat better with 35.9% of the total
population is deprived of the economic opportunities.
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Abbotabad Haripur Mansehra Battagram Kohistan
Education Health Housing Economics
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 4
Fig. 4.25: Hazara Division Indices of Multiple Deprivations (with 18 Deprivation
Indices in Percentages)
The above indicators of multiple deprivations clearly identified sectoral priorities
(education, health and housing) as well as the priority districts within the COI zone of
Dasu-Islamabad Transmission line.
Another important finding the above IMD reveals that Kohistan district is most
deprived in overall IMD value and its components. The proposed project is also
entirely dependent on the exploitation of the natural resources (power generation
from Dasu HPP) from district Kohistan in this respect required special attention to
reduce the deprivation level from the current 62.8% to at least 32% to stand at par
with Abbottabad within the same region.
4.4.4 Literacy and Education
The extent of deprivation in education is discussed in the above sections. The overall
literacy in 5 districts of Hazara division is (35.2%) is far lower than the national
average 57%. The literacy ratio is highest in Abbotabad and Haripur districts 56.6%
and 53.7% respectively. The literacy ratio in other three districts presents a dismal
picture with 36.3% in Mansehra, 18.3 % in Battagram and only 11.2% in Kohistan
District.
There also exit a huge gender gap in literacy in the entire region. The ratio of literate
male population (48.5%) is more than double the female population both in overall
and in the context of individual districts. The district –wise male and female literacy
ratio follows the trend in overall literacy ratio.
Table 4.8: District-wise Male and Female Literacy Ratio
Literacy (10 year and Above)
Population
District Ratio in Total
(000) Male Female
Population
Abbot Abad 0,880 74.5 39.1 56.6
Haripur 0,692 70.5 37.4 53.7
Mansehra 1,152 50.9 22.7 36.3
Battagram 0,307 29.4 6.5 18.3
Kohistan 0,500 17.2 2.9 11.1
Overall Literacy 48.5 21.7 35.2
4.4.5 Health Coverage
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Although the number of health related public and private sector infrastructure
significantly increased in the post-earthquake reconstruction phase (2006--2008),
that helped in improving the IMD at around 44%. But the services level in the entire
region is still devoid of health care staff and medicines. The current data shows the
significant number of health institutions but there is a complete silence on the
number of doctors and paramedic staff in Hazara division. Available estimates reveal
that for every 25,000 people there is one doctor and the ratio of population to a nurse
is 50,000. During the ESIC consultations in 20 villages only two village communities
(10%) villages informed working basic health facility in or near to their settlement.
Interestingly both health facilities are being operated by NGO 3s. The EPI coverage is
below 60% in the entire region where as it is even worse in both Battagram and
Kohistan.
4.4.6 Access to Road
There is an acute problem of accessibility to road infrastructure in the entire Hazara
division. On an average for one square kilometer of the area the access to road is
only 0.30 km in Abbottabad, 0.25 km in Haripur, 0.20 km in Mansehra and Battagram
and 0.10 km in Kohistan district.
4.4.7 Electricity and Cooking /Heating Fuel
Being in the long and swear winter region the access to electricity is to 76% of the
households in Haripur, 75% in Abbotabad, 49% in Mansehra, 42%in Battagram and
less than 20% in Kohistan. The natural gas is only available in main towns of
Haripur, Abbotabad and Mansehra. Around 79% of the population in Haripur uses
wood as a source of cooking and heating fuel. The corresponding ratio in Abbotabad
and Mansehra is 78% and 95% respectively. The entire population of Battagram and
Kohistan are dependent on wood for cooking and heating.
4.4.8 Poverty and Vulnerability
Poverty is prevalent in the entire COI districts and assuming menacing proportions
with the passage of time. Poverty in this context perpetuates due to ongoing political
instability, uneven distribution of resources, poor human resource development and
polarization of power and resources in the hands of a small percentage of
population. The unemployment ration in the COI districts ranges from 28.5% in
Mansehra to 30 % in Haripur, 31% in Abbotabad4 and 41% in Battagram.
3
SDF – a Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) partner and Mission Society funded by some
German Philanthropy.
4
SUNGI Development Foundation, Situation Analysis of District Haripur, Abbotabad, Mansehra and
Battagram.
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The SUNGI district profiles estimated that poverty line goes higher and higher with
the altitude of Indus river from Haripur to Kohistan. The ratio of population below
poverty line and middle income groups for each district is given below.
 Haripur: Population below poverty line is 42% and 31 percent population
belongs to middle income group.
 Abbotabad: More than 51 percent population lies below poverty line and
30 percent belong to middle-income group.
 Mansehra: More than 56 percent population lies below poverty line and
35 percent belong to middle-income group.
 Battagram: More than 65 percent population lies below poverty line and
30 percent belong to middle-income group.
 Kohistan: More than 70 percent population lies below poverty line and 20
percent belong to middle-income group.
4.4.9 Gender Equity and Equality
The district’s overall performance on gender empowerment is dismal. A low
investment in (female) human capital, negative social biases and prejudices,
controversial and discriminatory policies and laws, restriction on female mobility and
the internalization of patriarchy by women themselves, has become the basis for
gender discrimination and disparities in all spheres of life.
4.4.10 Rural Economy
Increasing environmental degradation in Pakistan is a constant threat to the
biological diversity and natural resource base of the country and is unfavorably
influencing the lives of the poorest sections of society. It is worth to mention that the
last few decades have witnessed increasingly exploitative and disenfranchising
practices including illegal timber harvesting, deforestation on mountains and hill
sides, rangeland degradation, over-cultivation, uncontrolled grazing, low productivity
in agriculture and livestock, poor water resource management and a host of socio-
political factors contributing to the ecological degradation.
Area under Cultivation: Total area of the Hazara division is 1.705 million hectares.
The ratio of area under cultivation to total area of the district varies from as high as
45.7% in Haripur to only 4.9% in Kohistan. The corresponding ratio in Abbot Abad,
Mansehra and Battagram is 32.2%, 17.7% and 18.6% respectively.
Categories Abbottabad Haripur Mansehra Battagram Kohistan
Area Under 63424 77875 80747 24173 36749
Cultivation (ha)
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Area under 83201 57398 332252 37983 216699
Forest
Land Use 83.4% 73.6% 82.7% 47.5 75.5
Cropping 88.3% 109% 136.7% 125.2 125.2
Intensity
Average per Hectare Yield
Maize (kg) 1342 1346 1718 1305 1961
Wheat(Kg) 1402 1526 1554 1531 1624
Average 1.01 1.01 2.48 0.85 0.85
Agriculture Land
per Household
(ha)
Animals per household
Buffalo/cattle 1.80 1.80 5.01 3.58 4.08
Sheep/goats 1.85 1.52 16.51 3.28 11.20
Source: Agriculture Statistics KPK 2006
Agriculture: The average agriculture land per household for the entire Hazara
division is only 1.25 hectares which is less than one hectare in Battagram and
Kohistan and around one hectare for Haripur and Abbottabad. The consideration for
any land use or cropping intensity becomes irrelevant with such a small land holding
for agriculture.
The small agriculture landholding and availability of community grazing areas
around the settlements and on top of the hills providing opportunities for livestock
rearing in the entire Hazara division. Average household in the entire COI districts
keeps over 10 animals to substitute their livelihood. The ratio is as high as 22
animals in Mansehra and 16 in Kohistan to 7 in Battagram and lowest 4 and 3 in
Abbottabad and Haripur respectively.
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Buffalo/Cows Sheep/Goats Total Livestock
22
16
7
4
3
Abbotabad Haripur Mansehra Battagram Kohistan
Fig.4.26 Average Household Livestock Index in COI Districts
The lowest per household livestock ration is due to highest (45.7%) area under
cultivation as against the lowest (17% and 4.9%) area under cultivation in Mansehra
and Kohistan with highest per household ratio of livestock 22 and 16 respectively.
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
STAKEHOLDERS AND PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS
5.1 GENERAL
Stakeholders, especially the local population, involvement is an important feature of
the environmental assessment and can lead to a better and more acceptable
decision-making regarding the Project design and implementation. Public
involvement, undertaken in a positive manner and supported by a real desire to use
the information gained to improve the Project design, will lead to better outcomes
and lay the basis for on-going positive relationships between the stakeholders.
Public involvement is necessary for smooth implementation of the Project. The local
community support is also required for the success of the Project.
Given the dimension and nature of the Project, Transmission Lines Project
management are committed for undertaking public consultation at local level as a
part of Project planning/design, getting necessary environmental approval/NOCs,
land acquisition, compensation for land and other assets and management of
infrastructures.
Under the proposed Project of Transmission Lines, public consultation was carried
out for all major accessible towns/villages of COI. These consultations were
conducted during the preliminary environmental and social surveys. The major
categories participated in public consultation were local population, community
groups, landowners, businessmen, tenants, vulnerable groups and potential Project
Affected Persons (PAPs) belonging to the COI. The feedbacks and issues raised
during the consultation were recorded and documented for developing the strategy.
5.2 OBJECTIVES OF CONSULTATION
The overall objective of the consultation with the stakeholders is to help verify the
environmental and social issues, besides technical ones, those have been presumed
to arise and to identify those which are not known or are unique to the Project. In
fact, disclosure with many who have thoroughly observed the site conditions in the
pre-developmental phase goes a long way in updating the knowledge and
understanding. In accordance with World Bank and EPA Guidelines for public
consultations, consultations were carried out keeping in view the following major
objectives:
 Sharing of information with government authorities and local communities on the
proposed Project activities and expected impacts on the physical, ecological and
socio-economic conditions of the COI;
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 5
 Understanding the stakeholders concerns regarding various aspects of the
Project, including the existing situation, route alignment, land acquisition,
compensation and the potential impacts of the construction-related activities and
operation of the Project; and
 Recording the feedback of public, in order to develop a mechanism to address
their issues and other local level concerns and incorporation of the outcomes in
final decision making.
5.3 IDENTIFICATION OF STAKEHOLDERS
Before proceeding Consultations with the stakeholders, an effort was made to
identify the stakeholders. The major stakeholders related to the proposed Project are
as under:
 NTDC (WAPDA)
 Water Wing WAPDA
 Dasu Wildlife Division Kohistan
 KPK EPA
 Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife Kohistan
 NGOs
 Farmers
 PAPs
 General users of the Project area
 National and International agencies working on Environment.
5.4 MEETINGS WITH SELECTED STAKEHOLDERS
5.4.1 Institutional/Governmental/International and Individual
Meetings were held with the various stakeholders during site visits and report
preparation. The participants included Govt. officials, representative of NGOs,
representatives of forest and wildlife departments, EPA, Ministry of Climate Change
and WWF. Mostly meetings were held in the offices of the concerned departments.
The major findings of the consultations with their names, designation and objective
of consultation are shown below:
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Table 5.2: Selected Stakeholders Consultation Summary
Project
Name/Designation Comments/Concerns
Stakeholder
Wildlife Syed Mubarak Ali  The Kohistan area is of utmost
Department Shah importance from biological aspects
particularly Palas Valley. The various
Chief Conservator
kinds of wildlife species are present
of Wildlife in the area.
 The Palas Valley is distributed in
Muhammad Faiq three distinct sections which are
known as the biodiversity core zones.
DFO Wildlife
However, the proposed T/L routes
Abbottabad crossed among the lower Palas
Formerly DFO Valley which may not crossed the
Wildlife Kohistan three biodiversity core zones. It is
recommended that the EIA
Consultant will review the route
alignment in detail particularly in
Palas Valley to assess potential
environmental and social impacts.
 It is also informed by Wildlife Officials
that is the only area Palas Valley
which is untouched or protected.
Therefore, it is requested to endeavor
alternate route for the proposed T/Ls.
 Horny pheasants (Tragopan) are
endangered species of Palas Valley,
which will require particular attention
during environmental assessment in
order to determine anticipated
impacts from the proposed project.
Fazal Azeem  The district Kohistan is blessed with a
Range Officer variety of wildlife and hence known
Dasu as “The Land of Wildlife”.
 More than 600 Markhors are present
Kohistan Wildlife in District Kohistan and about 50
Division Khyber sq.km area is marked for protection
Pakhtoonkhwa of Markhor. This area is present
about 20 km upstream to the
proposed Power Station Dasu,
therefore no impact is expected due
to construction of Power station and
high voltage transmission line.
 This area is also the route of
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Project
Name/Designation Comments/Concerns
Stakeholder
migratory birds and known as Flyway
No. 7 (The Green Flyway). The
number of migratory birds has
increased due to Afghan War. As
such no impact on this flyway is
envisaged due to construction of
proposed project, because the birds
fly are at high elevations.
 It is advisable that all the protective
measures would be adopted during
project construction to eliminate the
chances of disturbance to wildlife of
the project area.
Forest Abdullah Khan  The Kohistan area is rich of
Department DFO Direction forestation particularly Palas Valley,
which is protected forest. It is the only
KPK forest in the Kohistan area which is
untouched or protected. It is
suggested that the alternate route will
be analyzed even the cost is higher
than the proposed Palas Valley T/Ls
route.
 It is requested that official permission
will be obtained prior to construction
of T/Ls from Forest Department,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The proposed
mechanism is to acquire permission
via sending official letter to Secretary
Environment, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Secretary Environment will
forward the letter to Chief
Conservator Forest (CCF-II) for
further processing.
Azhar Ali Khan  There cannot be two opinions on the
DFO Upper possible benefits of the construction
Kohistan Forest of two high voltage transmission
Division lines, but the removal of trees from
tower foundations and those lying
below the transmission lines is
Essa Khan obvious. This impact can be
minimized by planting trees at least
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 5
Project
Name/Designation Comments/Concerns
Stakeholder
Assistant Forest three if one is cut. The forest
Officer department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will
extend its assistance in selecting the
Lower Kohistan
species for compensation plantation.
Forest Division
 No dislocation of human population
and infrastructure appears to result
from the construction of the project.
But, for smooth execution of the
project, it is advisable that local
community should be taken in
complete confidence and thoroughly
consulted before launching of the
Project.
 After completion of the project, all the
construction sites would be restored
to its original shape to avoid soil
erosion.
Ministry of Muhammad  It is a good step that all the projects
Climate Mansoor Khan are evaluated from environmental
Change Deputy Project point of view before implementation.
Manager The Environmental Assessment as
envisaged by the authorities
National Impact concerned is a step in the right
Assessment direction.
Program  It will be appropriate to preserve all
Ministry of Climate the vegetation, as far as possible,
Change where inevitable, the compensation
Government of plantation should be done after
Pakistan consultation with the Forest
Departments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
and Punjab.
Dr. Mamoona Wali  After 18th Constitutional Amendment,
Muhammad the environment department has
Deputy Director been shifted to provinces. For NOC
(Biodiversity) purpose, both the departments viz.
EPA Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and EPD
Punjab would be consulted.
Water Wing Haji Farooq  Land Acquisition and Resettlement
WAPDA Project Director cell and Environment Cell of Water
Dasu, Wing are responsible for compliance
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 5
Project
Name/Designation Comments/Concerns
Stakeholder
Water Wing of environmental and social
safeguards for all the hydropower
projects including Dasu HPP.
Ali Akbar  All the safeguards documents for
Deputy Director Dasu HPP has been prepared by the
Environment consultants and reviewed by Land
LA&R Water Wing
Acquisition and Resettlement (LA&R)
Raheel Mustafa and Environment Cell of Water Wing.
Agronomist  The major impacts resulting from the
LA&R Water Wing implementation of Dasu HPP are the
resettlement (relocation of about 767
Riaz ul Haq households) and tree removal (about
Consultant
21,000 nos. of various species).
Environment
Water Wing  It is proposed that LA&R and
Environment Cell would be consulted
in details at the time of ESIA
preparation. The water wing would be
available to provide any
assistance/guidance to ESIC-NTDC
in the preparation of environmental
and social safeguards documents.
Conservator Dr. Abdul Aleem  Importance of faunal resources of the
Chaudhry area can hardly be overemphasized
Ex-Chief in view of their aesthetic, recreational
Conservator of and commercial value.
Forests  Similarly, vegetation of the area
bears high significance because of its
Ex-DG Wildlife and complementarity to fauna, in
Parks Department ecosystem.
Punjab,  The bird flyway no. 07 exists in the
Member IUCN proposed project corridor, but no
World Commission impact is envisaged, as the bird fly at
on Protected height of 1000m to 2000m, while
Areas, height of tower is low.
Formerly Member  The district Kohistan in known as the
WWF Board of “Land of Wildlife” therefore, special
Trustees, measure would be adopted during
construction phase to minimize the
Member WWF disturbance to wildlife.
Scientific
 Although no protected area falls in
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Project
Name/Designation Comments/Concerns
Stakeholder
Committee the whole project corridor, but
extreme care is required to exercise
full protection to the fauna/flora,
during the construction and post
construction phases of the Project.
Fig. 5.1: Meeting with the officials of Forest Fig. 5.2: Eliciting the views of Range Officer
Department at Pattan Dasu, Kohistan Wildlife Division
5.5 PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS
Under the proposed Project, public consultation was carried out in the villages from
Dasu to Pathar Garh (near Hasan Abdal, District Attock). Total 21 consultative
meetings including 2 local NGOs were held with 273 participants and the major
categories participated in these meeting were local population, community groups,
landowners, businessmen, tenants and potential project affected persons. Majority of
the people who participated in these consultations are mature/elderly persons
because as per the local culture, elders have the right regarding any decision.
Although, young people were also present during consultations, but their
participation was negligible.
5.5.1 Scoping Sessions and Consultative Meetings
A series of scoping sessions and consultative meetings were carried out at various
locations of the project corridor, i.e. Dasu – Palas Valley – Shamdarra (Tehsil Oogi,
District Mansehra) – Chaprian (Tehsil Hasan Abdal, District Attock) etc. The purpose
of the scoping sessions and consultative meetings was to share the information
about the project activities with the grass route level i.e. with the actual direct or
indirect affected persons and to get their feedback about the project. In this context,
one consultation/ consultative meeting was done on about each 10 km distance in
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 5
COI. Thus, total 21 consultations/ consultative meetings were made with the
PAPs/local community & general public. The various ways used to ensure the
participation of the local community through the personal meetings with village
elders, NGO representatives, numberdars, and school teachers. District-wise
summary of scoping sessions/ consultative meetings is presented in Table 5.2
below, while the elaborated record of these consultations is given in Appendix – 5.1.
Table 5.2: Summary of Consultations/Consultative Meetings
Sr. Locations/ No. of
District Tehsil Union Councils
No. Venues Participants
- Sontaki - Pathargarh 19
- Hasan Abdal
1 Attock - Jallo - Katcha Jallo 16
- Ghazi - Chaprian - Chaprian 11
- Dheldal - Narra 8
2 Haripur - Haripur
- Beer - Darwaza 18
- Sherwan - Sherwan 10
3 Abbotabad - Abbotabad Kalan
- Icharrian - Kotla Bala 13
Mansehra
4 - Ugi - Perhenna - Khaki 10
- Shamdara - Shamdara 15
- Battagram - Ajmeeera - Bazargai 9
- Ajmera - Chapargram 13
Battagram
5 - Banna - Banna 17
- Allai
- Tailoos - Tailoos 8
- Pashto - Pashto 14
- Haran - Bada Kot 18
- Palas - Shalkhan Abad - Shalkhan 17
Abad
- Pattan Islahi - Pattan 12
- Pattan Committee
Kohistan
6 - Pak Mission - Shalkhan
5
Society (NGO) Abad
- Seo - Seo 11
- Dasu - Komila - Komila 22
- Salak Development - Komila
7
Foundation (NGO) - Pattan
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Sr. Locations/ No. of
District Tehsil Union Councils
No. Venues Participants
Sub-Total 19+2 273
Grand Total 21 273
5.5.2 Concerns/Feedback
Feedback received during public consultation includes both Project related concerns
and other/general concerns are given below.
Project related concerns and suggestions are related to the willingness of people to
accept project, livelihood, electricity and compensation/relocation/resettlement while
other concerns include drinking water supply and sewerage, health facilities, public
infrastructures and education.
A. Project Related Concerns/Feedback
i. People’s willingness
The whole country is suffering from energy crisis. Continuous Power shutdown is
badly affecting daily life of the people. People in the COI are quite happy with this
Project. Most of the people ensure their cooperation and support for the proposed
Project. According to respondents, such projects are important for the prosperity of
people and country. People even demanded that this Project should be implemented
as soon as possible. For the consulted communities this Project is more attractive
than adverse impacts. Few respondents are even willing to bear minor losses due to
this Project in the long term favor of the country.
Very few people have negative views about government Projects, as according to
them land value would be reduced due to the construction of Transmission Line in
the Project Area. Moreover, the proposed project will affect the already limited
agriculture land resources.
Fig. 5.3: Recording the views of elders of Fig. 5.4: Consultative Session at Village
Village Shalkhanabab, Palas Badakot, Palas Valley
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 5
Fig. 5.6: Discussions with people of Village Fig. 5.5: Eliciting the Concerns/Feedbacks
Shamdara, Mansehra District of the Resident of Village Pathar Garh
(Hassan Abdal)
ii. Livelihood
In the COI, farming, labor and small businesses are the main sources of livelihood.
Majority of the respondents are poor and they told that there are very few
employment opportunities. Therefore, economic conditions are not so good. Due to
the hilly area, the people have small holdings of agriculture land, therefore it should
be endeavored to save that and line would pass through barren land.
In the area of Katcha Jallo (Hasan Abdal, District Attock), people demonstrate
against agriculture land shortage due to land acquisition for the construction of
Motorway, GT Road and Railway Line projects. In addition to that three existing
heavy transmission lines are crossing our lands and people of the area requested to
change the route for proposed Transmission Lines. People of the Chhaprian village
(Hasan Abdal, District Attock) demanded alternate land as the land will be lost
forever and will not be properly utilized again to build houses and plant trees under
the line.
As per respondents in the COI, they do not expect any direct benefit from this
project, but for the development of the country, they are ready to cooperate to the
possible extent. People in the COI said that employment opportunities during
implementation phase of the Project should be given to them and government should
provide jobs opportunities to poor people residing in the Project Area, on priority.
iii. Compensation/Relocation/Resettlement
In case, crops and trees are damaged due to Transmission Lines Project, proper
compensation should be paid. If any community or private structures are affected, it
should be relocated and compensated properly. Locals demanded that the
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Transmission Lines should be kept away from agriculture lands, residential areas so
that loss of assets will be minimized.
iv. Electricity
Electricity is not available in most of the villages of Kohistan section. It was
suggested that electricity should be provided to all the villages in the route alignment
of Transmission Lines. According to locals, provision of electricity will reduce many
constraints of daily life. It will initiate development in the area and increase the living
standard of locals.
B. Other Concerns/Feedback
Basic amenities of life are not available in most of the villages in COI of Kohistan
section. Medical facilities, proper education system, road infrastructure, gas and
electricity are not present in many areas along Project corridor.
i. Water Supply/Drinking Water/Irrigation Water
Drinking water is available in the area through natural streams in Kohistan section;
people are fetching water through self-made network of pipes to their settlements. In
plain areas of the COI people are used to fetch water through hand/pressure pumps.
People are using streams/rain water for hilly area agricultural lands in Kohistan
section. However, in other areas of COI agriculture is being done through tube wells
and canal water.
ii. Sewerage System
There is no proper sewerage system in most of the villages in the COI. Absence of
proper sewerage system results in epidemic health problems. Locals demanded that
sewerage system should be installed to improve sanitation condition of rural areas.
iii. Health/Medical Facilities
Water borne diseases are common in most of the villages along route alignment.
Diseases such as jaundice, hepatitis, fever, tuberculosis and stomach disorders etc.
are common in these areas. Hospitals are mostly far away while dispensaries are not
fully equipped. Maternity homes are not available. Due to inadequate health facilities,
majority of the patients could not get proper treatment. People have to travel long
distances to get health facility. In Kohistan section more than 90 percent villages
have no health facility. People demanded that health facility should be provided to
the locals.
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Livestock rearing is main source of income in many areas in the COI. There are no
veterinary hospitals near settlement. Any disease outbreak among livestock directly
affects the households. So veterinary centers should be provided in areas where
livestock rearing is common.
iv. Public Infrastructures/ Roads
Transportation and road infrastructure is very poor in the COI. Most of the
settlements have Katcha tracks. People have to travel longer distances by foot.
During rainy season travelling on Katcha tracks become difficult. It was demanded
that roads should be constructed and public transport should be provided to facilitate
the local people.
v. Education
Education facilities are very poor in the COI. Schools are not present in villages and
boys and girls have to travel long distances for education. Schools are devoid of
proper infrastructure and learning aids. Many students could not join the college. It
was suggested by locals that proper education system should be introduced along
the COI especially for girls.
5.5.3 Menu of Benefit Sharing Options
The main focus of the consultation process has been the assessment and
prioritization of needs of the communities situated close to the transmission lines
route. Benefit sharing activities with the selected communities required a strategic
focus on those challenges that affect the population most critically, and that the
consultation participants themselves identify as key issues in their area. The process
also ensured the voice of vulnerable is heard and their needs are assessed properly.
a. How the Menu Identified
The participatory need assessment process through the consultations with the
community members a set of 5 different problems identified. The consultations
qualified a menu of options from the wish list of priorities identified by the community
members. The key informants on the other hand, not only crystallized the wish list
but on the basis of their past experience, identified opportunities and constraints
related to the implementation of each option.
b. Wish List of Options
At the end of each consultation the participants were asked one major question “ what
are the development priorities of your area?” This listing of development priorities
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was followed by a supplementary question “how they can be achieved?”. As
expected the wish list starched from 7 to 10 problems including political, social and
economic problems. The consultation coordinator than has to intervene to
concentrate on “development priorities for the entire village and that are achievable”.
The shortlist of menu of options includes sectors such as education, health,
employment, skill development and access roads in the region. The priorities are
presented below in a tabular form.
c. Ranking of Options
The ranking of options below is based on the number of times each priority is
repeated.
Skill Health Road
Sector Employment Education
Development Facilities Access
Count 21 20 19 18 17
% age 22% 21% 20% 19% 18%
Ranking 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
The above ranking is an academic exercise that emerges from the data analysis.
Some of the priorities for instance “availability of functional health facilities” and in the
larger community context “employment” may be out of the context of this stud y or the
resultant actions. In fact overall social development itself is a precondition and demand
for implementation of this project. Rigid tribal traditions do not allow female education
and local social environment discourages teachers and doctors from other districts.
Government record shows all schools and health facilities functional with full staff
strength. Whereas, over 50% schools and health facilities buildings are either closed
or being used for other purposes by local influentials.
d. Need to Enhance Local Ownership of the Project.
There is a strong need to enhance local ownership of the project. Local ownership can
only be enhanced through the participation of local communities in the inception,
design, implementation and operation and maintenance of the project as well as
investing in some resources in some social development projects which are visible
functional and long term. Investing in charity or buying in of some influentials will not
create local ownership of the project.
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL IMPACTS
6.1 GENERAL
This Chapter identifies the potential impacts due to the implementation of two
parallel running 500 kV transmission lines and 500 kV grid station on the physical,
biological and social environment of the Project Area.
6.2 DELINEATION OF PROJECT CORRIDOR OF IMPACT (COI)
Before proceeding to the environmental analysis of the Project, it is imperative to
delineate the Project Area of Influence (PAI).
Due to absence of final design and tower markings at site, project corridor of impact
has been taken as 500 m wide and 250 km long, which have been used for the
environmental/social baseline information and impacts assessment. From this
corridor, two parallel running 500 kV transmission lines will pass and there could be
direct impact on the environment like relocation of physical infrastructure (if any),
clearing of vegetation, loss of crops, etc. and indirect impacts of the project activities
are envisaged like existence of forests, wildlife habitats, wetlands, etc. For 500 kV
grid station, an area of 100 acres privately owned barren land has been selected.
6.2 IMPACT ASSESSMENT CHECKLISTS
A project impact checklist helps in identifying the potential areas of impact and
screens the project for environmental and social soundness. Each project
component/activity is screened separately with regard to its design, construction and
operation phases, and according to the various physical, biological and social
parameters.
The environmental and social impacts of power station as an integral part of Dasu
Hydropower Project, has been identified and dealt by Dasu Hydro Consultants and
Water wing of WAPDA will be the proponent of project and responsible for
construction and implementation of proposed mitigation measures. The NTDC will be
responsible for construction and operation of transmission lines and grid station.
Therefore, the impacts for both these components have been assessed in the
subsequent paragraphs.
Table 6.1 and 6.2 provide project impact checklists of the proposed two 500 kV
Transmission Lines from Dasu Power Station to 500 kV Grid Station at Pathar Garh
(Hassan Abdal, District Attock).
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 6
Table 6.1: Checklist for Identification of Environmental and Social Impacts by
Power Transmission
Impact Assessment Questions Yes No Remarks
Is the Project area adjacent to or within any
of the following environmentally sensitive
areas?
Cultural heritage site √
Wetland River Indus and Tarbela
Lake fall in the vicinity of
√
project area, but no impact
is expected.
Mangrove √
Estuarine √
Migratory Birds Flyway Migratory Birds Flyway
number 7 (The Green
Flyway) exist along the
project corridor. Detailed
impacts will be analyzed
during ESIA studies.
√ Besides, Avian Risk
Assessment study has also
been recommended which
will help identifying the
extent of impact and
recommend mitigation
measures.,
Buffer zone of protected area √
Special area for protecting biodiversity √
Will the Project cause;
Encroachment on historical/cultural areas, Disfiguration of landscape
disfiguration of landscape and increased waste and waste generation is
√
generation? expected during
construction stage.
Encroachment on precious ecosystem (e.g.
√
sensitive or protected areas)?
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 6
Alteration of surface water hydrology of
waterways crossed by roads and resulting in
√
increased sediment in streams affected by
increased soil erosion at the construction site?
Deterioration of surface water quality due to silt During rainy season, such
runoff, sanitary wastes from worker-based √ incidence would be more
camps and chemicals used in construction? frequent.
Increased local air pollution due to rock
√
crushing, cutting and filling?
Chemical pollution resulting from chemical
√
clearing of vegetation for construction site?
Noise and vibration due to blasting and other These would happen
civil works? during tower foundation
√
construction and
transportation of material.
Dislocation or involuntary resettlement of This impact will be minor
people. √ and identified after final
design of the project.
Social conflict relating to inconveniences in
living conditions where construction interferes √
with pre-existing roads?
Hazardous driving conditions where
√
construction interferes with pre-existing roads?
Poor sanitation and solid waste disposal in
construction camps and work sites, and
√
possible transmission of communicable
diseases from workers to local populations?
Creation of temporary breeding habitats for
√
mosquito vectors of disease?
Environmental disturbances associated with
the maintenance of lines (e.g. routine control of √
vegetative height under the lines)?
Accident risks associated with maintenance of The risks of accidents
lines and related facilities? during maintenance of high
√
voltage lines cannot be
waved out.
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Health hazards due to electromagnetic fields,
√
land subsidence?
Disturbances (e.g. noise and chemical
pollutants) if herbicides are used to control √
vegetative height?
Table 6.2: Checklist for Identification of Environmental and Social Impacts by
Construction of Grid Station
Impact Assessment Questions Yes No Remarks
Is the Project area adjacent to or within any
of the following environmentally sensitive
areas?
Cultural heritage site √
Wetland √
Mangrove √
Estuarine √
Buffer zone of protected area √
Special area for protecting biodiversity √
Will the Project cause;
Disfiguration of landscape and increased By construction of grid
waste generation? station, residential colony
√
and offices, the waste will
be generated.
Encroachment on precious ecosystem (e.g.
√
sensitive or protected areas)?
Alteration of surface water hydrology of No water body exists in
waterways crossed by roads and resulting in close proximity of proposed
√
increased sediment in streams affected by grid station site.
increased soil erosion at the construction site?
Increased local air pollution due to rock But the impact will be
crushing, cutting and filling? √ confined within the
boundary of grid station.
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Noise and vibration due to blasting and other These would happen
civil works? during construction stage
√
and transportation of
material.
Dislocation or involuntary resettlement of There is no structure at
√
people. proposed site.
Will the project involve the acquisition of About 100 acres of barren
private land? private land owned by the
residents of Village Pathar
√
Garh, Tehsil Hassan
Abdal, District Attock, will
be acquired.
Will the project cause disruption/dislocation of None of such infrastructure
any public infrastructure (e.g. highway, railway exists in the proximity of
√
line, public water supply, existing transmission proposed site.
lines, telephone poles)
Social conflict relating to inconveniences in
living conditions where construction interferes √
with pre-existing roads?
Will the project involve acquisition of The land identified for grid
agricultural land? Tree cutting? station is barren and
√
almost free from
vegetation.
Hazardous driving conditions where
√
construction interferes with pre-existing roads?
Poor sanitation and solid waste disposal in The impact will be minor,
construction camps and work sites, and as the camps and work
√
possible transmission of communicable sites will be within the
diseases from workers to local populations? boundary of grid station.
Creation of temporary breeding habitats for
√
mosquito vectors of disease?
Environmental disturbances associated with
the maintenance and repair of lines entering √
and transmitting power from grid station?
Health hazards due to electromagnetic fields,
√
land subsidence?
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6.3 LAND RESOURCES AND LAND USE
This section explains how the proposed project will affect the land use, soil erosion
and contamination.
a. Permanent Land Acquisition
The proposed Project will not involve the acquisition of land on permanent basis for
erection of towers as per NTDC (WAPDA) practice in the light of Telegraph Act,
1910. No payment is made for the land at the tower footing as the landowner is
allowed the use of the area under the towers. However, the land may have to be
acquired for relocation of houses or other structure (if involved). While, for 500 kV
grid station, about 100 acres of barren land is privately owned by the residents of
village Pathar Garh (Hassan Abdal, District Attock) and will be permanently acquired.
b. Temporary Acquisition of Land
The contractors will require temporary acquisition of land for:
 Contractors’ camps and facilities, i.e. storage, workshop, equipment parking
and washing areas,
 Aggregate quarries,
 Access roads for haulage, etc.
The contractor will be utilizing land for project activities, while, the subsequent
operation of the project may induce temporary as well as permanent changes in the
existing land use pattern.
c. Loss of Crops
The damages may occur to the existing crops during the construction stage of the
project due to the following activities:
 During the detailed survey and soil investigation work for tower footings.
 Considerable vehicular movement for transportation of materials/water and
steel formwork will be involved at the time of concreting of tower foundations.
This movement and storage of materials will cause damages to the existing
crops.
 The stringing of conductors involves the movement of equipment and vehicles
along the corridor, which may involve the cutting of trees, and considerable
damages to the existing crops in valleys.
 Due to project location in hilly areas, a number of new access routes will be
required to approach each tower. Therefore, damage to the crops is obvious.
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Magnitude of Impacts
Sr. No. Item Total
1 Total Length of two 500 kV Transmission Lines 250,000 m (250 km)
2 Width of COI 500 m (0.5 km)
125000000 m2
3 Total COI Area
(12500 ha)
Estimated Total Towers of two lines (at @285 m
4 1754 nos.
/tower)
5 Agriculture Land of COI Area 40 % (5000 ha)
6 Barren/Grazing Land of COI Area 40 % (5000 ha)
7 Forests Land of COI Area 20 % (2500 ha)
Since the Project is at planning stage and detailed survey is to be carried out along
with the proposed tower positions by the NTDC. So in absence of availability of
tower positions, it is very difficult to calculate the exact amount of the crop losses
and to identify the owners. Therefore, the above calculations would be considered as
just an estimate. Identification of owners will be carried out once the tower positions
are finalized and NTDC will pay the compensation during the implementation stage
of the project. It is estimated that the project activities will continue round the year at
each tower from the start of survey to the stringing of conductors. So affectees will
lose their crops for two seasons i.e. Winter and Summer. The crops and trees
compensations are paid by NTDC at three stages viz., (i) tower foundation
construction, (ii) erection and (ii) stringing works. The major crops which are being
sown in the project area are wheat, rice, maize along with vegetables.
d. Soil Erosion
Soil erosion may occur in the workshop areas as a result of improper runoff drawn
from the equipment washing-yards and improper management of construction
activities at hilly areas and natural streams. Soil erosion may also occur at quarry
areas, if unmanaged blasting is carried out.
e. Soil Contamination
Lands may get contaminated from the spillage of chemicals like fuels, solvents, oils,
paints and other construction chemicals and concrete. This normally happens when
these materials are transported in open or loosely capped containers.
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The possible contamination of soil by oils and chemicals at camp sites, workshop
areas, and equipment washing-yards may limit the future use of land for agricultural
purposes.
6.4 PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE
Construction stage of the proposed project may affect the existing infrastructure
falling in the proposed alignment of the transmission line. The effects due to the
crossing of the transmission line route over the existing infrastructure/area are as
under:
a. Roads and Railway Crossings
Field surveys revealed that the proposed lines will cross several roads including
Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway, M-1 (once near Grid Station at Pathar Garh,
Hassan Abdal, District Attock), Karakoram Highway, N-35 (at 2-3 locations), GT
Road, N-5 (once near Katcha Jallo, Hassan Abdal, District Attock). Besides these
national highways, the transmission lines will cross a number of local roads and
access routes throughout the project corridor. At the time of stringing, interference to
the traffic movement on these roads is expected. The transmission lines will also
cross the railway line at one spot near village Katcha Jallo, Hassan Abdal, District
Attock.
b. Power Lines
The selected route of 500 kV lines will involve the crossing of existing 220 kV line
near Bhattagram. Besides this, some lines of PESCO and IESCO of 132 kV, 66 kV
and 11 kV will also be crossed at various locations. Crossing may be dangerous
during the stringing action and operation stage, if proper clearance is not provided at
the design stage of the project.
6.5 WATER RESOURCES
This section explains how the Project will be affected in terms of water resources use
and water body contamination; it also describes the mitigation measures to manage
these impacts.
a. Use of Local Water Supplies
Local water supplies will need to be tapped to meet the campsite and construction
requirements, bringing its use into competition with local use. This may cause
conflicts between the locals and contractors.
b. Contamination of Water
Major surface water bodies of the project area include; Indus River, Kohistan River,
Siran River, Dour River, Haro River, Tarbela Lake and a number of nullahs/khawars.
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During construction, these water resources may be contaminated by fuel and
chemical spills, or by solid waste and effluents generated by the kitchens and toilets
at construction campsites. Moreover, the routes of nullahs/khawars may be altered
due to construction of access routes and hence leading to problem of water shortage
for benefitting populations of these nullahs.
c. Siltation of Natural Streams/Nullahs
Natural streams may become silted by excavated material (earth) with the runoff
from the construction area, workshops and equipment washing-yards. The natural
streams running along the project corridor in the hilly areas may become silted, if
unmanaged excavation is carried out for tower foundations.
6.6 AMBIENT AIR QUALITY AND NOISE LEVEL
This section discusses the impact of the construction and operation on the ambient
air quality and noise levels in the proposed Project Area. It also describes the
mitigation measures to manage these impacts.
a. Ambient Air Quality
Air quality will be affected by the fugitive dust and emissions from the construction
machinery, and vehicular traffic during the construction phase. Emissions may be
carried over long distances, depending on wind speed and direction, the temperature
of the surrounding air, and atmospheric stability.
The critical sources of air pollution during the construction phase are:
 Quarry areas that generate fugitive dust during the rock blasting and
crushing.
 Earth haulage trucks that generate dust, particularly during loading and
unloading processes.
b. Noise Level
Noise generated by the construction machinery during the project construction is
likely to affect the project area particularly the sensitive receptors like schools,
hospitals etc. Since, it has been endeavored to avoid the major towns and
settlement, therefore the impact on sensitive receptor is not foreseen. High noise
levels may also cause disturbance to the wildlife of project area.
6.7 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
The impact on flora and fauna and corresponding mitigation measures are described
in the following paragraphs:
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a. Impact on Flora
In the areas of Kohistan District, from Dasu to Pattan, the trees are comparatively
less and no major removal will be involved. While, from Palas Valley to Allai,
Battagram, Abbottabad, Mansehra and Haripur regions of project corridor, the
forests are available and valleys are lush green. The trees and shrubs will be
removed for tower foundations, those lying under the transmission lines and for
making access routes. Mainly, the trees are privately owned. The 500 kV Grid
Station will be at barren land of village Pathar Garh (Tehsil Hasan Abdal, District
Attock, only some bushes and shrubs will be removed. In the absence of final design
and tower marking at the site, the exact number of trees to be removed cannot be
counted at this stage. But it is envisaged that trees/shrubs, especially in Palas Valley
Protected Forests will be removed during construction of transmission lines and will
cause major negative impact on environment of the project area.
No major fruit orchid is present in the project area. The scattered fruit trees are
present in valleys and along the terraced agriculture lands; therefore, no major
environmental impact on fruit trees is foreseen.
b. Impacts on Fauna
During the construction phase, there will be negative impacts on the mammals and
reptiles of the area, due to the activities involving construction of towers, access
roads, stringing of conductors, movement of labor, carriage of goods and machinery
to various sites, falling within the route of transmission line. Mammals, such as wild
boar, jackal etc. will avoid these areas for fear of being hunted. Same will be the
case with reptiles, some reptiles might be killed during the digging and dragging
operations. Birds will try to find shelter and food somewhere else and will tend to
move away from the route of transmission line due to the activities mentioned above
for fear of being hunted/trapped.
c. Impact on Protected Areas
In Pakistan, the protected areas are classified into three main categories viz., Wildlife
Sanctuaries, National Parks and Game Reserves. In the project corridor, no such
site exists and therefore no impact on protected areas is envisaged due to
construction of two parallel running 500 kV transmission lines and grid station.
d. Impacts on Migratory Birds Flyway Number 7
The famous route for migratory birds from Siberia to various destinations in Pakistan
over Karakorum, Hindu Kush, and Suleiman Ranges along Indus River down to the
delta is known as International Migratory Bird Route Number 7; it is known as the
Indus Flyway and is one of the busiest routes in the world. According to estimates
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based on regular counts between 700,000 and 1,200,000 birds arrive in Pakistan
through Indus Flyway every year.
This route falls in the COI area of transmission lines from Dasu to Pattan along the
Indus River. Due to construction of Dasu Reservoir, it is likely that the migratory birds
come on the lake and the overhead transmission lines across the Indus Rivers may
have a potential collision hazards for waterfowl and other large birds. Some of the
expected impacts on migratory birds and facts and figures are given below, but
detailed investigations are required during the Environmental and Social Impact
Assessment (ESIA) study of this project.
 Depending on the type of construction used, power poles and power lines
may cause fatal injuries to birds, because of both electrocution and collision.
They affect especially large birds such as storks and raptors. There is a
strong need to agree on standards in construction and design of electricity
transmission facilities to minimize any such adverse effects, largely excluding
the risk of bird deaths.
 Collisions with some types of aerial wire or cable, including power lines of all
voltage ranges, can affect any flying bird. Migrating birds (bustards, rails,
waders/shorebirds, cranes, waterfowl and sand grouses) flying at heights of
20m to 50m are at considerable risk of collision, especially at night, when
flying in flocks, and for large and heavy birds of limited maneuverability.
 Bird collisions frequently involve the top (grounding) wire, which is typically
the least visible. Particularly collision-prone species are relatively heavy-
bodied birds with limited maneuverability during level flight; examples include
pelicans, cormorants, herons, storks, ibises, flamingoes, waterfowl (ducks,
geese, and swans), cranes, bustards, and coots. Power line collisions are
usually most problematic over wetlands, since these habitats tend to have
high bird concentrations in general, but particularly most of the species groups
with high collision vulnerability. Unlike birds, bats do not normally collide with
power lines. Bird electrocutions most typically involve raptors (hawks, owls,
eagles, and vultures) or other medium-to-large birds that perch on the lines or
poles and complete a circuit by simultaneously touching two live wires, or a
live wire and grounding element. Some relatively long-lived, slowly-
reproducing bird species have suffered significant population declines due to
collisions or electrocutions at power transmission lines.
e. As discussed above in the report, in parallel to ESIA, project will also commission Avian
Risk Assessment study to identify the risks associated with passing TL through Indus
Flyway cooridor.Encroachment to Wetlands
Wetlands occur in many different forms and serve vital functions including storing
runoff, regenerating groundwater, filtering sediments and pollutants, and providing
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habitat for aquatic species and wildlife. In Pakistan, the Indus valley forms the main
wetland artery in the country. The major wetlands falling in the vicinity of project
corridor are Indus River and Tarbela Lake. The transmission lines run on both sides
of River Indus from Dasu to Pattan/Palas (about 32 km) and might be some towers
located in or very close the River Bank. The other wetland near project corridor is
Tarbella Lake. The Lines pass at Eastern side of Tarbella Lake near the Villages
Darwaza, Khalabat Township and Narra, District Haripur. The confirmation of tower
foundations in or near these wetlands will come from final design of the project. The
construction and maintenance of transmission lines can damage wetlands in the
following ways:
 Heavy machinery can crush wetland vegetation and wetland soils.
 Wetland soils, especially very peaty soils can be easily compacted, increasing
runoff, blocking flows, and greatly reducing the wetland’s water holding
capacity.
 The construction of access roads can change the quantity or direction of
water flow, causing permanent damage to wetland soils and vegetation.
 Construction and maintenance equipment that crosses wetlands can stir up
sediments, endangering fish and other aquatic life.
 Transmission lines can be collision obstacles for sandhill cranes, waterfowl
and other large water birds.
 Vehicles and construction equipment can introduce exotic plant species such
as purple loosestrife. With few natural controls, these species may out-
compete high-quality native vegetation, destroying valuable wildlife habitat.
Any of these activities can impair or limit wetland functions. Organic soils consist of
layers of decomposed plant material that formed very slowly. Disturbed wetland soils
are not easily repaired. Severe soil disturbances may permanently alter wetland
hydrology. A secondary effect of disturbance is the opportunistic spread of invasive
weedy species. These invasive species provide little food and habitat for wildlife.
6.8 SOCIOECONOMIC AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT
This section describes the impact of the proposed Project on local communities,
construction workers, indigenous and vulnerable people as well as on structures or
sites of cultural and religious significance.
a. Impacts on Local Communities/Workforce
The area’s surrounding communities will be affected duri ng the construction phase
as follows:
 During the construction phase the general mobility of the local residents and
their livestock in and around the project area is likely to be hindered.
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 Unmonitored construction activities, e.g. blasting may create an accident risk
for the local residents particularly their children.
 Usage of Community’s common resources like potable water, fuel wood etc.
by Contractor workforce may create conflicts between the community and the
Contractor.
 Community will have to face the noise and dust problems during the
construction activities.
 Induction of outside workers in the Contractor labor may cause cultural issues
with the local community.
 Theft problems to the community by the Contractor workers and vice versa.
b. Loss of Income
 During the construction activities of tower foundations, erection, and
conductor stringing people will lose their annual income due to the loss of
crops, trees, etc.
 The land under the towers during the operation stage may restrict its current
use for agriculture purposes.
 The restriction of plantation of trees above 2.5 m height during the operation
stage may also cause the reduction of income of the farmers.
 Due to the erection of towers and passing the transmission line, the value of
land may depreciate in the long term.
c. Gender Issues
 As the project route is passing through the rural areas and rural community,
women activities in the field may become affected due to the construction
activities.
 The rural women normally use the open field latrines and their privacy may
suffer due to the project activities.
 The induction of outside labor may create social and gender issues due to the
unawareness by them of local customs and norms. It will also cause
hindrance to the mobility of local women.
 Disturbance to the privacy of the local women when workers will work on the
erection of towers.
d. Indigenous, Vulnerable and Women Headed Households
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 During the field survey of the project corridor, no indigenous group of people
was identified, which comes under the def inition of “Indigenous People” as per
World Bank O.D. 4.20. So, no impact on the indigenous people is envisaged
due to the implementation of the project.
 Income of vulnerable people may be affected due to the implementation of the
Project, like relocation of their infrastructure, loss of land, crops, trees, etc. In
case of loss of crop/trees due to the Project, the person who is going to lose
over 50 % of his land will be considered as vulnerable people.
 The women headed household are need to be identified during the detailed
social survey of the Project.
e. Public Health and Safety Hazards
 Construction of two 500 kV Transmission lines, a 500 kV grid station and
power station will require hundreds of workers who will obviously be
accommodated in congested temporary camps. This scenario will lead to
spreading of diseases like Malaria, Cholera, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, B and C
etc.
 Occurrence of accidents/incidents during the construction stage of high
voltage lines is a common phenomenon.
 The existing infrastructure in the project area for solid waste management is
not very satisfactory; the induction of more people in the project area may
cause more problems.
 The Project area is very sensitive from the law and order point of view in
Kohistan and Bhattagram districts, therefore, the security of Contractor and
Consultant staff will be a major issue.
 During the operation stage, people believe that they will be prone to danger
due to the current flows from towers, breaking of conductors, etc.
 Slippage of Contractor staff while working at steep hilly slopes in hilly area.
 Safety of general public at blasting sites and construction sites.
 During the operational stage electric current (induction) may travel into the
towers and will become a hazard to the public/animals.
f. Relocation of Private/Public Infrastructure
 Removal of infrastructure like houses, animal sheds, etc. will cause the loss of
community shelters and source of income. As per field observations, it is
expected that few number of such structures will be affected due to
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implementation of the Project. As project is at planning stage, during detailed
design, any private infrastructure like may come within the COI.
 Although a number of public infrastructure will fall into the proposed
transmission line route, but no relocation is expected as the Project has the
flexibility to provide proper horizontal/vertical clearance for safe passage over
the existing infrastructure.
g. Religious, Cultural and Historical Sites
Although the project will pass close to a number of religious sites like mosques and
graveyards, but none of them is falling within the COI limits.
6.9 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL RISK ASSESSMENT
The common environmental risks as assessed on the basis of consultations with the
stakeholders are as under:
 The farmers believe that their movement will be restricted in the fields due to
Electro Magnetic Field (EMF), and it may have adverse impacts on the health.
EMF due to EHV can cause the risk of leukemia, which is a disease in which
white blood cells mutate and become cancerous before maturity. These cells
are important in fighting against infection in the body. Leukemia also
slows down the production of red blood cells that are needed to carry oxygen
in the second leading cause of death for children ages 2-15 years.
 Animal movement may be restricted due to EMF and current in the towers in
rainy season.
 Collapse of the towers due to the high wind or earthquake may be dangerous
for human as well as animal life.
 Breaking of conductors due to any mishap will cause a safety hazards due to
the current flow at fields and crossing over roads, canals, streams etc.
 People have to bear an excessive noise due to the current flow in the
conductors especially in rainy season.
 The electronic devices/equipment may fail to work passing under the EHV
transmission lines.
 Special measures are required if transmission line passes over any existing
transmission line.
 The transmission lines may become a danger to the movement of birds and
fatalities may occur if someone sits on the conductor.
6.10 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT
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Although there will be some insignificant and temporary negative effects of the
Project during implementation and operation stage, but a large number of positive
impacts on environment and social settings of the area are also expected. This
project will have local to national level positive impacts. During construction phase, a
lot of local labor will be hired and other services e.g. concrete materials will be
purchased from local markets ultimately leading to the socio-economic uplift in the
project area. During operation phase, the employees of the project will be provided
with better facilities e.g. hospitals, schools, roads, electricity etc. and ultimately the
local community will also be benefitted from these facilities. Beside these, the whole
country is facing the shortage of electricity and lots of people have lost their
livelihood sources due to this problem. Dispersal of 4320 MW power from Dasu
Power Station by constructing 500 Kv transmission lines will help to meet the energy
requirements in the country. The major positive impacts of the proposed Project on
environment and social settings of the Project area particularly on rural communities
are as under:
 The most outstanding benefit of the project will be the availability of
resources and expertise for the protection and conservation of
environmental resources in the Palas valley.
 Due to implementation of the Project availability of the electricity will be
ensured as per demand of the area.
 Expansion of industries expected due to availability of electricity.
 Better quality of life will be available for the citizens.
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR THE MITIGATION OF
PROJECT (IMPACTS)
7.1 GENERAL
This Chapter outlines the Environmental Management Framework (EMF). The EMF
provides generic guidelines to be followed while implementing various project
activities, in order to keep the project environmentally and socially sound. However,
for more precise, site specific Environmental Management Plan (EMP), as a part of
ESA has to be prepared.
7.2 INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Project Preparation and Technical Assistance (PPTA) Consultants to be hired by
NTDC will be responsible for preparation of full fledge ESA including site specific
EMPs. The public consultation and information disclosure shall be conducted by the
consultants during the process preparation ESA.
The Environment and Social Impact Cell (E&SIC) of NTDC, shall review and modify
(if any) the already prepared EMPs as per the IFI’s Guidelines.
The existing Project Management Unit (PMU) will assume primary responsibility for
the environmental assessment as well as implementation of EMPs for their
respective components by PIUs. The environmental and social impact cell (E&SIC),
NTDC will take care of environment, resettlement, and any other environmental and
social development obligations and issues established at the PMU. The Project
Supervisory Consultants will assist the PMU in monitoring and management of
environmental safeguards.
Organogram of environment and social impact cell of NTDC has been depicted in
Fig.7.1. The E&SIC is headed by Manager, the other staff includes; Deputy Manager
Environment, Assistant Manager Environment, Assistant Manager Social
Safeguards, Social Surveyor and a Computer Operator. The only vacant position in
the E&SIC is Computer Operator, which would be filled before execution of this
project. The major role of E&SIC is to fulfill the environmental and social safeguards
requirements of financing agencies and other responsibilities are described in
subsequent paragraphs.
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Manager Environment and
Social Impact Cell
Deputy Manager Environment
Assistant Assistant Computer
Social
Manager Manager Social Operator
Surveyor
Environment Safeguards (Vacant)
Fig. 7.1: Organogram of Environment and Social Impact Cell - NTDC
The duties of the E&SIC will include at minimum:
(i) Provide review and technical support to PMU, including review of papers,
feasibility studies, appraisal reports and other relevant documents from the
perspective of environment and land acquisition and resettlement
management, on assignment basis.
(ii) supervise and scrutinize the PPTA consultants hiring process for
environmental and social documents preparation;
(iii) oversight of construction contractors for monitoring and implementing
mitigation measures;
(iv) preparing and implementing environment policy guidelines and
environmental good practices;
(v) liaising with the PIUs and seeking their help to solve the environment
related issues of project implementation;
(vi) providing awareness training workshop on environmental and social
issues related to power transmission to PIU staff;
(vii) preparation of monthly/quarterly progress report on environmental and
social safeguards for submission to financing agencies;
(viii) conduct seminars / local training workshop on environment safeguard
matters with the help of NGOs / PIU / IFIs, etc. and
(ix) Seek environmental approvals from respective EPAs and share with World
Bank.
The roles and responsibilities of various agencies responsible for project
implementation are tabulated below:
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E&SIC/PMU/PIU
Detailed Design and Pre-construction stage
 The Environment and Social Impact Cell will be involved with the project
planning and design team in the site selection process. The E&SIC will also
categorize the project for carrying out environmental assessment studies.
 PIU, PMU and environmental consultants to conduct all the environmental
studies in compliance with World Banks’ operational policies on environment
including detailed ESIA and Avian Risk Assessment study.
 In case of changes in specific locations or alignments of any subproject facilities
that EMP will be updated and that environmental assessment will be carried out
if changes in location and alignment are located outside the project area of
influence.
 The E&SIC will review the ESA/EIA/IEE Reports and will submit to relevant EPA
and World Bank for approvals and further necessary actions.
 No Objection Certificate (NOC) will be obtained from respective EPAs and
clearance from financing agency (World Bank) will also be sorted before
commencement of the project construction activities.
 The E&SIC will assure that the site specific EMPs have been prepared prior to
award of contract.
 The legal agreement to include clauses (viz., site specific EMPs) on obligation of
the borrower/client to incorporate safeguards requirements in bidding documents
and civil work contracts.
After confirmation of clearance of IEEs/EIAs from EPAs, E&SIS and PMU final
EARF, IEEs/EIAs with EMPs to the public as required by World Bank. All IEEs/EIAs
should be available to the public upon request.
Construction stage
 Each contractor will appoint a dedicated Environmental and Social Monitor
(ESM) at the project sites. The ESM will be responsible for the implementation of
mitigation measures given in EMPs during construction works. He will also be
responsible for communication with and the training of their respective
construction and camp crews in all aspects environmental management.
 The Project Supervisory Consultants will also have an Environmental Specialist
and his responsibility would include the preparation of quarterly progress report
(QPR) for E&SIC for onward submission to World Bank.
 Project supervision consultant with the assistance of Contractor will conduct
environmental quality monitoring during construction stage (ambient air and
noise, soil and water quality, etc.).
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The E&SIC will review the QPR and incorporate the necessary amendments (if any)
before submission to World Bank for approval.
Project Completion
E&SIC/PMU to prepare a project completion report (PCR) that assesses whether the
objective and desired outcomes of the environmental plans have been achieved,
taking into account the baseline conditions and the results of monitoring.
Operation Stage
Executing agency to conduct monitoring, as specified in the environmental
monitoring plan.
7.3 MONITORING AND REPORTING
7.3.1 Internal Monitoring
Implementation of the EMP during construction will be done by the supervisory
consultants and supervised by E&SIC/PMU. The parameters to be monitored,
frequency and duration of monitoring as well as the locations to be monitored will be
as per the monitoring plan prepared as part of the EMP. The supervisory consultants
and contractors will report the results and conclusions of EMP implementation and
environmental monitoring to the PMU quarterly. The PMU will review the quarterly
progress report on EMP implementation and submit to World Bank. The budget for
environmental monitoring shall be included as part of civil works contracts.
Environmental assessment will include environmental monitoring plans identifying
environmental monitoring activities to ensure that negative environmental impacts
are addressed properly. It will identify environmental parameters to be monitored,
frequency of monitoring, applicable standards, agencies and institutions responsible
for monitoring; and provide indicative monitoring costs.
7.3.2 External Monitoring
In addition to the internal monitoring discussed above, NTDC will engage consultants
to carry out external monitoring on periodical basis. The objectives of this external
monitoring will be to ensure that:
 the EMP as s part of the ESA is being adequately implemented,
 mitigation measures are being implemented,
 the compliance and effects monitoring are being conducted,
 environmental trainings are being conducted, and
 complete documentation is being maintained.
7.3.3
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7.4 ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES
The guidelines are the key component of the Environmental Management
Framework (EMF). These guidelines enlist all the potential effects of each activity of
the project and their associated generic mitigation measures. These guidelines
should be followed during the design, construction and operation of project
components. The guidelines are described in forthcoming paragraphs.
7.4.1 Guidelines for Design Phase
a. Site/Route Selection
 Areas prone to land sliding (such as river banks or mountain slopes having
more than 30% gradient) should be avoided for the grid station sites.
 Slope stabilization measures should be incorporated in the design of
Transmission line tower foundations.
 Areas having precious/sensitive natural vegetation and wildlife resources
should be avoided for the grid station sites and transmission line routes.
 Protected areas (national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and game reserves)
should be avoided while selecting the grid station sites and transmission line
routes.
 Sites of archeological, cultural, historical or religious significance should be
avoided when selecting the grid station sites and transmission line routes.
 The grid station should preferably be planned on the State land.
 In case the State land is not available, it should be ensured that the land is not
disputed, and proper documents are available with the owners.
 Efforts should be made to select the transmission line routes on existing right
of way (RoW) or State land. Cultivated areas should be avoided as far as
possible.
b. Equipment Selection
PCB-free transformers should be selected for the proposed project. Appropriate
Clauses will be included in the equipment specifications and tender documents.
c. Grid Station Design
 The grid stations and associated buildings should have appropriate sewage
Disposal systems.
 Leaked oil collection arrangement (such as a channel and a drain pit below
the transformers) should be incorporated in the design of the transformer
foundations at the grid stations.
 Tree plantation will be carried inside and at the periphery of the grid stations,
without compromising the safety aspects (ie, required clearances will be
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Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 7
maintained). For this purpose, provisions will be made in the site layout of the
grid stations.
7.4.2 Guidelines for Contractor Mobilization / Demobilization
a. Soil Erosion and Contamination
 Vehicular traffic on unpaved roads should be avoided as far as possible.
 Operation of vehicles and machinery close to the water channels, water
reservoir will be minimized.
 Vehicles and equipment should not be repaired in the field. If unavoidable,
impervious sheathing should be used to avoid soil and water contamination.
b. Air Quality Deterioration
 Construction machinery and vehicles will be kept in good working condition
and properly tuned, in order to minimize the exhaust emissions.
 Fugitive dust emissions will be minimized by appropriate methods, such as
spraying water on soil, where required and appropriate.
 Project vehicles will avoid passing through the communities, farms and
orchards as far as possible. If unavoidable, speed will be reduced to 15 km/h
to avoid excessive dust emissions.
c. Noise
 Vehicles will have exhaust mufflers (silencers) to minimize noise generation.
 Night time traffic will be avoided near the communities. Local population will
be taken in confidence if such work is unavoidable.
 Vehicular traffic through the communities will be avoided as far as possible.
 Vehicle speeds will be kept slow, and horns will not be used while passing
through or near the communities and hospitals.
d. Safety Hazards
 Road signage will be fixed at appropriate locations to reduce safety hazard
associated with project-related vehicular traffic.
 Project drivers will be trained on defensive driving.
 Vehicle speeds near / within the communities will be kept low, to avoid safety
hazard and dust emissions.
e. Damage to Infrastructure
All damaged infrastructure will be restored to original or better condition.
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7.4.3 Guidelines for Construction Camp Establishment and Operation
a. Soil Erosion / Contamination
 Photographs will be taken to record the site conditions prior to the
establishment of the camp.
 Construction camp will be located in a stable and flat area, requiring minimal
de-vegetation and leveling. E&SIC’s approval will be obtained for camp
location.
 Land clearing, leveling and grading will be minimized, and carried out in a
manner to minimize soil erosion.
 Vehicular traffic on unpaved roads will be avoided as far as possible.
 Operation of vehicles close to the water channels, water reservoirs will be
minimized.
 Contractors will prepare a waste disposal plan and submit to E&SIC for
approval.
 For the domestic sewage, appropriate treatment and disposal system will be
constructed having adequate capacity.
 Waste oils will be collected in drums and sold to the recycling contractors.
 The inert recyclable waste from the site (such as card board, drums,
broken/used parts, etc.) will be sold to recycling contractors. The hazardous
waste will be kept separate and handled according to the nature of the waste.
 Domestic solid waste from the construction camp will be disposed in a
manner that does not cause soil contamination.
 The camp sites will be completely restored after the completion of the
construction works. All temporary structures will be demolished, land leveled
and re-contoured to the original condition or better. All debris and any other
material will be removed from the site. The photographs taken prior to the
camp establishment will be used to restore the area.
b. Air Quality Deterioration
 Construction camp will be established about 500 m away from the
communities.
 Generators and vehicles will be kept in good working condition and properly
tuned, in order to minimize the exhaust emissions.
 Fugitive dust emissions will be minimized by appropriate methods, such as
spraying water on soil, where required and appropriate. Waste water from
kitchen and washing area of the construction camp may be used for water
spraying.
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 Project vehicles will avoid passing through communities, farms and orchards.
If unavoidable, max speed of 15 km/h will be observed to avoid excessive
dust emissions.
c. Surface Water Contamination
 For the domestic sewage, appropriate treatment and disposal system will be
constructed having adequate capacity. Waste oils will be collected in drums
and sold to the recycling contractors.
 The inert recyclable waste from the site (such as card board, drums,
broken/used parts, etc.) will be sold to recycling contractors. The hazardous
waste will be kept separate and handled according to the nature of the waste.
 Domestic solid waste from the construction camp will be disposed in a
manner that does not cause soil contamination.
d. Water Consumption
 Water will be obtained from the source approved by the E&SIC.
 Astute planning will be employed to conserve water at the construction sites
and camp. Water will be procured in a manner that least affects the local
communities.
 Waste water recycling will be carried out for sprinkling and gardening
purposes.
e. Loss of Vegetation
 Clearing natural vegetation will be avoided as far as possible.
 The camp will be established in a natural clearing, outside forested areas.
 Complete record will be maintained for any tree cutting.
 The construction crew will be provided with LPG as cooking (and heating, if
required) fuel. Use of fuel wood will not be allowed.
f. Noise
Generators and vehicles will have exhaust mufflers (silencers) to minimize noise
generation.
g. Safety Hazards
 Protective fencing to be installed around the Camp to avoid any accidents.
 Firefighting equipment will be made available at the camps.
 The camp staff will be provided fire-fighting training.
 All safety precautions will be taken to transport, handle and store hazardous
substances, such as fuel.
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h. Public Health
 Camps will be at least 500 m from any groundwater wells used by the
community.
 The construction camps and site offices will have first-aid kits.
 The construction crew will be provided awareness for the transmissible
diseases (such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C).
i. Social and Gender Issues
 Construction crew will avoid entering the villages and settlements.
 No child labor will be employed at the camp sites.
7.4.4 Guidelines for Transportation of Equipment and Construction Materials
a. Soil Erosion and Contamination
 Vehicular traffic on unpaved roads will be avoided as far as possible.
 Operation of vehicles and machinery close to the water channels, water
reservoir will be minimized.
 Vehicles and equipment will not be repaired in the field. If unavoidable,
imperious sheathing will be used to avoid soil and water contamination.
b. Air Quality Deterioration
 Fugitive dust emissions will be minimized by appropriate methods, such as
spraying water on soil, where required and appropriate.
 Project vehicles will avoid passing through the communities and cultivation
fields as far as possible. If unavoidable, speed will be reduced to 15 km/h to
avoid excessive dust emissions.
c. Noise
 Vehicles will have exhaust mufflers (silencers) to minimize noise generation.
 Nighttime traffic will be avoided near the communities. Local population will be
taken in confidence if such work is unavoidable.
 Vehicular traffic through the communities will be avoided as far as possible.
 Vehicle speeds will be kept low, and horns will not be used while passing
through or near the communities.
d. Safety Hazards
 Road signage will be fixed at appropriate locations to reduce safety hazard
associated with project-related vehicular traffic.
 Project drivers will be trained on defensive driving.
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 Vehicle speeds near / within the communities will be kept low, to avoid safety
hazard and dust emission.
e. Damage to Infrastructure
All damaged infrastructure will be restored to original or better condition.
7.4.5 Guidelines for Grid Station Construction
a. Land Acquisition
 Land for the grid station will be purchased directly from the owners, on the
basis of willing seller – willing buyer, at mutually acceptable price (based on
market price). The seller will have the right of refusal.
 The agreement between NTDC and the sellers will be properly documented.
 Grievance redressal mechanism will be put in place to address the community
complaints.
b. Loss of Agriculture
 The land price will include any existing crops/trees at the time of the
agreement.
 Compensation will also be paid for damaged crops/trees, if any, outside the
acquired land.
 Complete record will be maintained for the compensation determination and
payment.
c. Blocked Access
In case of the blockage of the existing routes, alternate routes will be identified in
consultation with affected communities.
d. Noise and Vibration
Working hours for construction activities within the communities will be limited to
between 8 am and 6 pm.
e. Safety Hazards
 The construction sites will have protective fencing to avoid any unauthorized
entry.
 Before commencing the testing commissioning of the system, the nearby
communities will be informed.
 Protective fencing will be used where appropriate/possible.
f. Damage to Infrastructure
All damaged infrastructure will be restored to original or better condition.
g. Gender and Social Issues
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 Bypass routes to be provided to communities, if required, especially along
routes frequented by women, such as route to the local well or water source.
 Construction crew will avoid in entering villages and settlements.
 Local social norms and practices will be respected.
 No child labor will be employed at the project sites.
h. Sites of Historical, Cultural, Archeological or Religious Significance
 Grid station sites will avoid the known sites of historical, archeological, cultural
or religious significance.
 In case of discovery of any sites or artifacts of historical, cultural,
archeological or religious significance, the work will be stopped at that site.
 The provincial and federal archeological departments will be notified
immediately, and their advice will be sought before resumption of the
construction activities at such sites.
i. Soil Erosion
 Cut and fill at the proposed grid station site will be carefully designed, and
ideally should balance each other. The surplus soil, if any, will be disposed at
places approved by E&SIC. Such sites will be selected after surveying the
area and ensuring that soil deposition will not have any significant impacts,
such as loss of productive land, blocked access, natural vegetation and
disturbance to drainage.
 If necessary, fill material for grid station sites will be obtained from appropriate
locations approved by E&SIC. Such locations will be selected after surveying
the area and ensuring that soil extraction will not have any significant impacts,
such as soil erosion, loss of natural vegetation and disturbance to drainage.
 The fill material will not be obtained from any cultivation fields, unless allowed
by the landowner/cultivator. Where the use of cultivated land is unavoidable
for obtaining the fill material, the top 30 cm soil layer will be removed and
stockpiled for redressing the land after removal of the borrow material. The
excavation in such areas will be limited to 50 cm depth.
 Areas from where the fill material is obtained or surplus soil deposited will be
landscaped to minimize erosion and hazard for people and livestock.
 Embankments and excavated slopes will not be left untreated/unattended for
long durations. Appropriate slope stabilization measures will be taken as per
the design (e.g., stone pitching).
 After the completion of the construction works, campsites and other
construction sites will be completely restored. No debris, surplus construction
material or any garbage will be left behind.
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 Photographic record will be maintained for pre-project, during-construction
and post-construction condition of the sites.
j. Soil Contamination
 Vehicles and equipment will not be repaired in the field. If unavoidable,
impervious sheathing will be used to avoid soil and water contamination.
 For the domestic sewage, appropriate treatment and disposal system, such
as septic tanks and soaking pits, will be constructed having adequate
capacity. The contractor(s) will submit to E&SIC the plans for the camp layout
and waste disposal system, and obtain approval.
 Waste oils will be collected in drums and sold to the recycling contractors.
 The inert recyclable waste from the site (such as card board, drums,
broken/used parts, etc.) will be sold to recycling contractors. The hazardous
waste will be kept separate and handled according to the nature of the waste.
 Domestic solid waste from the construction camp will be disposed in a
manner that does not cause soil contamination. The waste disposal plan
submitted by the contractor(s) will also address the solid waste.
 PCB-free transformers will be selected for the proposed project. Appropriate
clauses will be included in the equipment specifications and tender
documents.
 Leaked oil collection arrangement (such as a channel and a drain pit below
the transformers) will be incorporated in the design of the transformer
foundations at the grid stations.
k. Air Quality Deterioration
 Construction machinery, generators and vehicles will be kept in good working
condition and properly tuned, in order to minimize the exhaust emissions.
 Fugitive dust emissions will be minimized by appropriate methods, such as
spraying water on soil, where required and appropriate. Since water
availability is an issue in some of the areas, it is recommended that the waste
water from kitchen and washing area of the construction camp may be used
for water spraying.
 While working within the communities for works such as transmission line
laying, coordination with the communities will be maintained to minimize any
detrimental impacts on the crops and settlements.
7.4.6 Guidelines for Transmission Line Construction
a. Loss of Agriculture
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 Temporary RoW will be acquired along the proposed transmission lines, and
for access routes to the transmission line corridor.
 Compensation will be paid for the crops damaged during the construction
activities. The compensation will be paid to the cultivator, and absence of the
land title will not be a bar to receiving the compensation. Based upon the
findings of the ESA, an RP or LARP will be prepared to address the
involuntary resettlement issues.
 Complete record will be maintained for the determination and payment of the
compensation.
 It will be ensured that the land under the 500 kV transmission lines tower
remains available for cultivation.
 In case the above is not possible, the land under the tower will be acquired in
accordance with the LAA procedures (Section 17.4 of the LAA will not be
used). Operation of project vehicles and construction machinery outside the
RoW will be avoided. Attempts will be made to use existing tracks/roads to
access the transmission line corridor/tower locations. In case new access
routes are necessary, the cultivated land will be avoided as far as possible.
Damage to crops will be compensated.
 Grievance redressal mechanism will be put in place to address the community
complaints
.
b. Blocked Access
In case of the blockage of the existing routes, alternate routes will be identified in
consultation with affected communities.
c. Noise and Vibration
 Vehicular traffic through the communities will be avoided as far as possible.
 Project routes will be authorized by E&SIC.
 Vehicle speeds will be kept low, and horns will not be used while passing
through or near the communities.
 Vehicles will have exhaust silencers to minimize noise generation.
 Night time traffic will be avoided near the communities.
 Movement of all project vehicles and personnel will be restricted to within
work areas, to avoid noise disturbance.
 Working hours for construction activities within the communities will be limited
to between 8 am and 6 pm.
d. Safety Hazards
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 The construction sites will have protective fencing to avoid any unauthorized
entry.
 Before commencing the testing commissioning of the system, the nearby
communities will be informed. Protective fencing will be used where
appropriate/possible.
e. Damage to Infrastructure
All damaged infrastructure will be restored to original or better condition.
f. Gender and Social Issues
 Bypass routes to be provided to communities, if required, especially along
routes frequented by women, such as route to the local well or water source.
 Construction crew will avoid in entering villages and settlements.
 Local social norms and practices will be respected.
 No child labor will be employed at the project sites.
g. Sites of Historical, Cultural, Archeological or Religious Significance
 The known sites of historical, archeological, cultural or religious significance
will be avoided for routing the transmission lines.
 In case of discovery of any sites or artifacts of historical, cultural,
archeological or religious significance, the work will be stopped at that site.
 The provincial and federal archeological departments will be notified
immediately, and their advice will be sought before resumption of the
construction activities at such sites.
h. Soil Erosion
 Embankments and excavated slopes will not be left untreated/unattended for
long durations. Appropriate slope stabilization measures will be taken per the
design (e.g., stone pitching).
 Vehicular traffic on unpaved roads will be avoided as far as possible.
 Operation of vehicles and machinery close to the water channels, water
reservoir will be minimized.
 Construction works at mountain slopes will be carefully planned. Off-track
vehicular traffic will not be allowed.
 Appropriate measures will be taken to avoid soil erosion during the excavation
of transmission line tower foundations. These include temporary
embankments to protect excavated soil and placing gabions. The surplus soil
will be disposed as stated above.
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 After the completion of tower foundations particularly on slopes, additional
stone pitching around the foundation will be carried out, where required, to
avoid any subsequent soil erosion/land sliding.
i. Soil Contamination
Vehicles and equipment will not be repaired in the field. If unavoidable, impervious
sheathing will be used to avoid soil and water contamination.
j. Air Quality Deterioration
 Construction machinery, generators and vehicles will be kept in good working
condition and properly tuned, in order to minimize the exhaust emissions.
 Fugitive dust emissions will be minimized by appropriate methods, such as
spraying water on soil, where required and appropriate. Since water
availability is an issue in some of the areas, it is recommended that the waste
water from kitchen and washing area of the construction camp may be used
for water spraying.
 Project vehicles will avoid passing through the communities and cultivation
fields as far as possible. If unavoidable, speed will be reduced to 15 km/h to
avoid excessive dust emissions.
 While working within the communities for works such as transmission line
laying, coordination with the communities will be maintained to minimize any
detrimental impacts on the crops and settlements.
k. Loss of Natural Vegetation
 Clearing of natural vegetation will be minimized as far as possible during the
transmission line works.
 No new tracks will be developed to reach the transmission line route inside
the forested areas; the existing routes will be used to transport equipment,
material and personnel. Vehicles will not be operated off-track in such areas.
 For each transmission line route, a tree cutting plan will be prepared and
submitted to E&SIC / NTDC for approval. A complete record will be
maintained for any tree cutting or trimming. The record will include: the
number, species, type, size, age, condition and photograph of the trees to be
cut/trimmed. The compensation will be determined on the basis of these
factors.
 Herbicides will not be used to clear vegetation along the transmission line
route (or at other project locations).
 A program will be developed for the tree plantation particularly along the
transmission line routes in the forested areas, in order to compensate removal
of the trees during the transmission line laying. The trees thus planted will be
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at least 5 times the ones which would be removed for the transmission line
works.
 E&SIC/NTDC will coordinate with the relevant Forest Department for the
development and implementation of this program.
 Indigenous tree species will be selected for plantation; in particular,
Eucalyptus trees will not be used in any case.
 Consultations will be held with the forest department on the possibility of using
the transmission line route in the forested areas as the fire line. The forest
fires are a frequent problem in our mountainous areas, and if the de-
vegetated strip under the transmission lines can effectively be used as the fire
line, the transmission lines can provide a useful value to the forest.
 The construction crew will be provided with LPG as cooking (and heating, if
required) fuel. Use of fuel wood will not be allowed.
 No fires will be allowed inside the forest.
 Construction camps will not be established inside the forested area.
l. Damage to Wildlife
 Blasting will not be carried out while working in the forested areas for new
transmission line routes. No nighttime activities will be carried out in such
areas.
 The works in such forested areas will be carried out in coordination with the
Forest and Wildlife departments.
 Vehicle movement will be limited to the existing tracks in the above area.
 The measures to prevent soil and water contamination will forestall any
adverse impact on the faunal resources of the area.
 Garbage will not be left in the open.
 The project staff will not be allowed to indulge in any hunting or trapping
activities.
7.4.7 Occupational Health and Safety Guidelines
Occupational safety and health (OSH) is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with
protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment.
The goals of occupational safety and health programs include to foster a safe and
healthy work environment. OSH may also protect co-workers, employers, and many
others who might be affected by the workplace environment. In this project, the
construction of two high voltage transmission lines, power station and grid station will
require special attention to protect the workers’ health. Relevant provisions of
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IFC/World Bank EHS Guidelines, 2007, have been attached to this report as Annex
– 7.1.
7.4.8 Guidelines for Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Activities
a. Soil and Water Contamination
 The grid station will have appropriate solid waste collection and disposal
arrangements.
 The grid station will have appropriate sewage handling system. The grid
stations’ sewage collection system will be connected to the Mu nicipality
operated sewerage system, if available. Otherwise, grid stations will have
their own septic tanks and soakage pits.
 Waste oils and chemicals will be disposed in accordance with their respective
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).
 Non-toxic recyclable waste (such as cardboard) will be given away for
recycling.
 Toxic waste will be stored separately, and incinerated at an appropriate
double chamber incinerator.
 Grid stations will have channels and drainage pits to collect any leaked oil
from the transformers in the grid stations.
 E&SIC / NTDC will develop a comprehensive plan for PCB testing and its
complete elimination from all the transformers and circuit breakers from the
entire network.
b. Impacts on Biological Resource
 E&SIC / NTDC will maintain coordination with the Forest and Wildlife
departments for trimming the tall trees under the forested segments of the
transmission lines.
 E&SIC / NTDC will implement and monitor the forestation initiative, with
collaboration of the Forest Department.
 Maintenance works on the forested segment of transmission lines will be
carried out in consultation with the Wildlife Department.
 No new tracks will be developed inside the forested areas. The vehicular
movement will be restricted to the existing tracks.
 No night time maintenance works will be carried out in the forested areas.
c. Safety Hazards
 Trees under the transmission lines will be regularly trimmed to maintain the
minimum clearance required.
 NTDC’s O&M staff will be provided essential protective gears and equipm ent.
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 NTDC’s O&M staff will be provided safety training. Refresher courses will be
arranged on regular basis.
 The communities near the grid stations and transmission lines will be
educated on the risk of electrocution, and how to avoid accidents.
d. Loss of Agriculture
 Damage to the crops will be avoided during the transmission line patrolling.
 Any damage during the repair and maintenance activities will be
compensated.
 Liaison with the nearby communities will be maintained in this regard.
 The Grievance Redressal Mechanism (GRM) will be maintained on
continuous basis.
7.5 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE AND BUDGETARY REQUIREMENTS FOR ESIA
STUDY
e. Staff Requirements and Manning Schedule
The Environmental and Social Impacts Study will be carried out in about 06 months’
period. The details of staff requirements and man-months input for the proposed
study is tabulated as below;
Table 7.1: Staff Requirements and Manning Schedule
ESIC-NTDC 7-18
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 7
Sr. Position No. of M.M./ Total
No. Positions Position M.M.
1 Team leader 1 6 6
2 Chief Environmentalist 1 6 6
3 Principle Resettlement 1 6 6
Specialist
4 Senior Environmentalist 1 3 3
5 Senior Resettlement 1 3 3
Specialist
6 Junior Sociologist 2 6 12
7 Junior Environmentalist 2 6 12
8 Senior Ecologist 1 4 4
9 Geologist 1 1 1
10 Surveyors 4 4 16 (4x4)
11 Enumerators 4 4 16 (4x4)
12 Admin Officer 1 6 6
13 Data Entry Clerks/ 2 6 12 (6x2)
Computer Operator
14 Cashier/ Account Officer 1 6 6
15 Photocopier Operator 1 6 6
16 Service Man/ Chowkidar/ 4 6 24 (6x4)
Cook
17 Part time staff Sweeper, 4 4 24 (6x4)
Electrician
18 Receptionist 1 6 6
Total Man-Months 169
f. Budgetary Requirements
The tentative total budget required to carry out the environmental and social impact
assessment study comes up Rs. 17,610,000, out of which Rs. 14,910,000 are salary
costs and Rs. 2,700,000 are direct costs. The details are given in Tables 7.2 and 7.3
respectively. The Avian Risk Assessment study will cost around Rs 5 million.
ESIC-NTDC 7-19
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 7
Table 7.2: Salary Costs
No. of Total Rate / Total
Sr. No. Position
Positions M.M. Month Amount
1 Team leader 1 6
400,000 2,400,000
2 Chief Environmentalist 1 6
350,000 2,100,000
Principle Resettlement
3 1 6
Specialist 350,000 2,100,000
4 Senior Environmentalist 1 3
300,000 900,000
Senior Resettlement
5 1 3
Specialist 300,000 900,000
6 Junior Sociologist 2 12
100,000 1,200,000
7 Junior Environmentalist 2 12
100,000 1,200,000
8 Senior Ecologist 1 4
300,000 1,200,000
9 Geologist 1 1
300,000 300,000
10 Surveyors 4 16
30,000 480,000
11 Enumerators 4 16
30,000 480,000
12 Admin Officer 1 6
40,000 240,000
Data Entry Clerks/
13 2 12
Computer Operator 30,000 360,000
14 Cashier/ Account Officer 1 6
40,000 240,000
15 Photocopier Operator 1 6
15,000 90,000
Service Man/ Chowkidar/
16 4 24
Cook 15,000 360,000
Part time staff Sweeper,
17 4 24
Electrician 10,000 240,000
18 Receptionist 1 6
20,000 120,000
Total 169 -
14,910,000
Table 7.3: Direct Costs
Rate/
No. Description Quantity Cost Rs.
month
Per diem allowances (including accommodation
1 100000 6 600,000
at site)
2 Office Rent 100000 6 600,000
ESIC-NTDC 7-20
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 7
Communication Costs Telephone, Fax &
3 50000 6 300,000
Mobiles
4 Drafting, Reproduction of Reports LS LS 200,000
Use of Computers' accessories/ toner,
5 LS LS 200,000
Stationary
6 Environmental Monitoring LS LS 200,000
7 Transportation Cost, Hiring of Vehicle etc. 100000 6 600,000
Total 2,700,000
Table 7.4: Total Budgetary Requirements for developing ESIA Study
Salary Costs Rs. 14,910,000
Direct Cost
Rs. 2,700,000
Avian Risk Assessment
study
Rs, 5,000,000
Total Cost Rs. 22,610,000
ESIC-NTDC 7-21
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
8.1 CONCLUSIONS
Based on the preliminary plans, environmental and social field surveys, and
identification of environmental impacts of proposed two parallel running 500 kV
transmission lines from Dasu to Pathar Garh (Hassan Abdal) and 500 kV Grid
Station at Pathar Garh (Hassan Abdal), it may be concluded that there are
insignificant, short term and reversible impacts of the Project. The major impacts
of the Project are summarized as under:
 No acquisition of permanent land will be involved for erection of towers for
transmission lines as per Telegraphy Act, 1910, while the land for 500 kV
Grid Station at Pathar Garh (Hassan Abdal) will be acquired. This is almost
barren land and privately owned by residents of village Pathar Garh (Tehsil
Hassan Abdal, District Attock). However, where relocation of
houses/structures is involved (if any), payment for land will be based on
current market rates.
 Acquisition of temporary land for establishment of Contractor’s camp
facilities will be required.
 The transmission lines will not pass through any protected areas (Wildlife
Sanctuary, National Park, and Game Reserve), archaeological or religious
site etc. Hence no impact on such sites is expected.
 Two major environmentally sensitive sites viz., Palas Valley Forests and
Indus Bird Migratory Route Number 7 fall in the COI of project and these
are identified as Environmental Hotspots. The disturbance to both these
sites is expected.
 Two major wetlands viz., River Indus and Tarbela Lake fall in the close
vicinity of the project. The erection of towers in these wetlands will be
decided at the time of final design.
 All the other impacts like soil erosion, soil contamination, water
contamination, air pollution, high noise level, etc. are of temporary nature.
 The terraced agriculture area in valleys will be affected during construction
stage due to erection of towers and access routes. The standing crops will
be damaged for which compensation will be paid by NTDC.
 Tree removal will also be involved due to construction of transmission lines
and grid station. This impact will be compensated by planting at least five
trees if one is cut.
 No indigenous peoples have been found in the project area.
ESIC-NTDC 8-1
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 8
 Women headed households could be found. This will be identified during
detailed environmental and social assessment studies.
 The other social issues like safety of general public and workers, security
problems, community accessibility issue, women accessibility to fields for
their daily routine life etc. are of temporary nature.
 Most of the above impacts are of temporary nature and manageable
through good engineering practices and none of these are irreversible.
In the light of the above discussions, it may be concluded that the proposed
preliminary Project route is environment friendly and will cause the least effects on
the area’s existing environmental settings.
8.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
To minimize the negative impacts and to enhance the positive impacts of the
Project, the some recommendations are given below:
 Detailed Environmental and Social Impact Assessment studies
including environmental management plans and resettlement plans
should be carried out before start of works. It would help in smooth
execution of the project.
 Special investigations should be carried out to identify and mitigate the
impacts of transmission lines on environmental hotspots (Palas Valley
and Indus Bird Flyway Number 7). A separate Avian Risk Assessment
study is therefore recommended in parallel to ESIA studies. It is also
recommended that special considerations should be given to the
impacts on wetlands (Indus River and Tarbella Lake) falling in the COI
of project.
 Project facilities should be located at a minimum distance of 500 m
from the existing settlements and built-up areas.
 As far as possible, waste/barren land i.e. areas not under agricultural or
residential use and natural areas with a high elevation should be used
for setting up the project facilities.
 Soil erosion, water contamination, air pollution and high noise levels
should be controlled with the use of good engineering practices.
 Fair and negotiated compensation in accordance with the prevailing
market prices should be made for loss of crops and trees during the
construction activities of the Project.
 In case of relocation of buildings and infrastructure like houses, the
payment should be made on replacement cost basis.
ESIC-NTDC 8-2
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project Chapter 8
 The Contractors will have to adopt some suitable timing for the
construction activities like tower footings, erection and stringing of
conductors so as to cause the least disturbance to the local community
particularly women considering their peak movement hours.
 Contractors should take due care of the local community and its
sensitivity towards local customs and traditions.
ESIC-NTDC 8-3
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDICES
APPENDICES
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX 3.1
Appendix – 3.1: Elaborated Sections of Transmission Lines Route
Route Alignment Sheet 1 of 4
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX 3.1
Route Alignment Sheet 2 of 4
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX 3.1
Route Alignment Sheet 3 of 4
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX 3.1
Route Alignment Sheet 4 of 4
Tarbela Lake
Highway (N-5)
Motorway (M-1)
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX 4.1
APPENDIX- 4.1
CLIMATIC DATA OF PATTAN STATION FROM 2005 TO 2011
Monthly Mean Minimum Temperature Pattan
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 6.7 5 7.3 3.3 7.6 8.3 5.1
Feb 4.9 10.9 8.5 6.3 6.8 6.5 5.6
Mar 11.5 10.8 9.5 12.5 10.5 13.4 9.6
Apr 14.2 14.4 17 13.8 13.1 16.1 13.3
May 16.1 20.9 19 19.9 18.5 18.1 20.5
Jun 21.3 22.8 23 24.3 21.3 19.6 22.7
July 24.4 25.3 23.6 24.5 23.3 22.7 25
Aug 22.3 23.2 23.6 23.9 25.1 23.1 24.5
Sep 20.9 19 20.4 19.1 18.2 18.7 20.2
Oct 13.5 14 12.6 14.4 13 13.6 13.7
Nov 9.2 10 10.1 11.5 10.2 9.5 10.4
Dec 9.1 7.8 6.3 9.4 9.1 5.1 8.1
Monthly Mean Maximum Temperature Pattan
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 13.9 12 17.2 11.2 14.6 19.2 17.3
Feb 11.8 19.3 18 15.8 15.6 13.6 14.6
Mar 20.9 21.8 19.8 25.1 20.4 24.8 22
Apr 25.9 29.3 33 26.8 25.1 27.9 26.9
May 29 37.6 34.9 35.3 33.9 31.4 36.1
Jun 37.6 37.3 37.5 37.1 36.4 34.7 38
July 37.5 37.9 36.2 37.2 38.5 36.3 37
Aug 36.5 35 36.8 36.5 38 34 37.5
Sep 35.2 34.3 34.4 34.4 35.1 33.2 32.8
Oct 29.9 30.9 31.2 30.2 31 30.6 28.5
Nov 21.4 21.7 27 24.1 23.1 26.1 22.4
Dec 18.2 15.7 16.5 17.2 17.5 20.2 18.7
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX 4.1
HUMIDITY AT 0500 PM ( % ) PATTAN
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 47 56 30 54 48 32 28
Feb 61 51 49 34 53 59 57
Mar 50 44 39 34 48 32 40
Apr 35 32 25 36 47 37 35
May 41 26 31 27 26 46 32
Jun 30 26 28 39 27 37 36
July 38 40 42 40 33 39 38
Aug 40 48 44 38 39 55 40
Sep 40 42 40 32 38 44 49
Oct 39 40 22 39 28 37 44
Nov 46 52 26 32 33 32 46
Dec 29 41 42 39 35 25 36
HUMIDITY AT 0800 AM ( % ) PATTAN
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 55 63 41 63 58 45 52
Feb 78 61 67 50 69 67 69
Mar 65 65 56 58 60 51 59
Apr 47 49 49 66 62 58 63
May 59 44 55 53 47 61 50
Jun 51 45 52 65 44 55 54
July 65 65 71 71 56 67 62
Aug 69 76 73 70 64 78 65
Sep 76 78 73 70 69 76 77
Oct 63 81 66 79 66 74 76
Nov 60 80 49 53 49 60 68
Dec 36 50 59 46 44 48 50
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX 4.1
MONTHLY TOTAL RAIN (mm) PATTAN
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 145.8 243.6 7.6 268.5 173.3 49.6 38
Feb 337.5 171.9 137.4 76.9 265.2 483 391.5
Mar 250.6 91.3 286 69.4 196 121.5 200
Apr 130.1 102.6 71.2 134.4 263.1 83.2 183.5
May 88.2 25.6 84.7 58.4 85 171.4 46.6
Jun 43.5 10.3 103.9 114.7 24.5 68.4 17.5
July 28.5 95.2 158.4 42 37.8 322.8 91.7
Aug 74.6 69.7 101 32 56.4 71.2 25
Sep 46.2 11.7 48.9 19 58.8 96 83
Oct 85.2 35.1 4 41.2 5 29.3 98.5
Nov 110.2 139.9 5 84.9 46.5 0 82.1
Dec 2 247.5 55.7 241.8 93.3 18 25.1
THUNDER STORMS (DAYS) PATTAN
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Feb 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mar 1 0 1 0 0 1 1
Apr 2 1 3 5 4 1 0
May 5 2 9 6 2 0 2
Jun 6 5 5 5 3 5 1
July 4 6 6 1 4 3 1
Aug 7 4 8 8 4 1 2
Sep 3 3 4 3 3 0 1
Oct 5 4 1 0 1 1 0
Nov 1 0 0 4 0 0 0
Dec 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX 4.1
Wind Speed At 5: 00pm PATTAN
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 3.3 3.2 5 2.1 4.6 2.6 1.9
Feb 1.5 3 1.4 4.1 2.9 2.1 2.1
Mar 1.9 2.3 3.5 2.5 3.1 2 2.5
Apr 4.6 1.9 2.3 2.2 2.5 1.3 1.8
May 1.8 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.4 1.1 0.9
Jun 2.3 2.9 2.5 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.1
July 2.4 2.7 2.1 2.5 2.4 2.2 2.5
Aug 1.9 1.9 1.7 2.3 3 0.3 3
Sep 1.6 2.2 1.9 2.7 1.2 0.3 0.7
Oct 1.5 1.4 1.5 0.9 1.3 0.4 0.5
Nov 1.7 0.3 0.8 2 2.4 0.7 1.1
Dec 6.2 3.4 1.7 4.8 5.1 1.3 3
Wind Speed At 8 : 00 am PATTAN
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 2.6 2.8 3.6 2.1 4.5 1.9 1.5
Feb 0.7 2.2 1.3 5.6 2.7 1.5 1.9
Mar 2 0.7 1.4 1.1 2.9 1 1.7
Apr 2.9 1 0.6 0.7 1.8 0.8 0.5
May 0.7 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.6 0.6
Jun 0.3 1.3 0.2 0.1 0.8 0.2 0
July 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 0 0
Aug 0.5 0.1 0 0.2 0.1 0.2 0
Sep 0.1 0.1 0 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.3
Oct 1.1 0 0.1 0.1 0.2 0 0.3
Nov 1.7 0.1 0.3 1.7 2.7 0 1
Dec 5.6 2.7 2.8 5.1 3.9 1.1 2.6
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 4.2
APPENDIX – 4.2
CLIMATIC DATA OF KAMRA STATION FROM 2001 TO 2011
MONTHLY MEAN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE (oC) KAMRA
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 18.3 18.6 18 16.4 15.2 16.5 18.2 14.6 17.5 20.0 16.3
Feb 22.8 19.5 18.5 21 15.3 23.7 18.7 19 19.9 18.5 17.9
Mar 27.8 26.2 23.2 29.9 23.3 24.5 22.7 29.1 24.5 28.2 25.6
Apr 32.1 32.7 30.3 33.9 30.6 32.7 34.1 29.3 29.0 33.5 29.5
May 41 39.5 35.8 38.4 34 41.7 37.6 38.4 37.8 37.5 40.1
Jun 39.9 40.8 41.2 40.5 42.4 40.4 40.4 38.1 40.3 40.0 41.5
Jul 36.1 41.4 37.1 40.4 36.6 37.3 36.6 36 40.4 38.2 36.1
Aug 35.6 34.9 35 36 36.1 34.4 36.3 34.7 37.4 33.6 35.1
Sep 35.8 32.4 33.4 36.1 35.5 34.3 34.4 33.8 35.8 34.0 33.6
Oct 33 31.3 30.6 28.3 31.3 31.4 31.4 31.9 32.0 31.8 30.2
Nov 25.6 25.6 24 25.1 24.7 23.8 25.2 25.1 24.5 25.9 25.1
Dec 20.5 19.2 19 19.2 19.6 17.4 18.4 19.9 19.8 18.5 19.8
MONTHLY MEAN MINIMUM TEMPERATURE (oC) KAMRA
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan -0.5 0.1 1.6 4 2.2 2.6 0.1 0.1 4.3 1.1 1.2
Feb 3.2 4.4 5.2 5.1 5.2 7.7 6.6 2 6.0 6.2 5.6
Mar 9.4 9.6 9.7 11.4 11.3 10.9 9.2 11 9.1 12.7 10.8
Apr 16.1 16.3 15.5 17.5 13.6 14.7 15.7 15.5 14.5 17.2 15.0
May 23.8 21.8 19 20.4 18.8 23.6 20.9 21.4 20.1 21.3 22.6
Jun 27.2 25.6 24.6 24.5 24.8 24.5 25.2 25.5 23.1 23.6 26.5
Jul 26.1 26.6 26 26.5 25.9 27.3 25.5 25.7 26.5 26.6 25.3
Aug 25.6 25.4 24.7 24.8 25.2 25.1 25.5 24.8 26.8 25.2 25.4
Sep 21.3 20.7 23.2 21.9 23.4 21.7 22.4 20.8 22.3 22.0 22.7
Oct 15.4 15.8 13.8 13.9 14.8 16.6 12.7 16.5 13.7 16.6 15.7
Nov 7.4 8.2 6.6 7.6 6 10.4 6.8 7.2 6.0 7.3 9.7
Dec 3.2 3.8 3.2 4.3 -0.8 3.5 2.6 3.8 1.7 0.2 0.3
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 4.2
HUMIDITY AT 0500 PM ( % ) KAMRA
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 39.0 43.0 51.0 60.0 59.0 49.0 40.0 47.0 58.3 43.9 53.3
Feb 23.0 44.0 48.0 43.0 64.0 45.0 58.0 36.0 51.3 54.4 59.4
Mar 24.0 38.0 44.0 30.0 57.0 46.0 48.0 33.0 48.4 44.0 43.5
Apr 30.0 24.0 39.0 26.0 31.0 25.0 30.0 38.0 44.3 31.5 39.5
May 19.0 17.0 26.0 17.0 29.0 21.0 27.0 26.0 26.0 24.6 23.0
Jun 32.0 26.0 22.0 26.0 20.0 25.0 31.0 42.0 22.8 24.5 29.2
Jul 53.0 29.0 47.0 35.0 51.0 47.0 48.0 57.0 34.6 42.4 53.5
Aug 57.0 53.0 58.0 51.0 52.0 62.0 54.0 58.0 50.2 67.7 58.9
Sep 40.0 49.0 55.0 42.0 47.0 50.0 51.0 47.0 44.5 48.8 54.3
Oct 39.0 44.0 45.0 46.0 41.0 47.0 36.0 46.0 34.3 42.4 47.6
Nov 46.0 47.0 43.0 48.0 39.0 57.0 52.0 45.0 41.1 46.8 52.6
Dec 52.0 47.0 53.0 60.0 40.0 55.0 52.0 54.0 46.4 54.0 47.0
HUMIDITY AT 0800 AM ( % ) KAMRA
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 84 82 87 89 90 87 83 85 88 85 87
Feb 70 80 82 87 87 85 88 82 86 86 87
Mar 60 78 76 69 81 82 83 72 80 77 78
Apr 57 53 67 58 63 57 64 66 70 62 70
May 41 35 47 45 51 42 51 48 48 48 45
Jun 48 46 42 47 38 47 50 63 44 45 46
Jul 77 49 68 56 72 68 71 75 53 62 73
Aug 79 75 77 74 73 78 77 81 71 84 77
Sep 70 75 75 68 76 76 78 77 72 78 79
Oct 69 75 78 74 78 81 77 79 72 77 80
Nov 81 77 81 83 82 86 88 87 81 85 86
Dec 82 83 84 91 86 87 90 91 84 88 88
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 4.2
MONTHLY TOTAL RAIN (mm) KAMRA
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 0 4 11.5 124.5 128 55 -1 54 56.0 14.0 9.0
Feb 1 60.5 270 36 205.5 10 286 39 75.0 143.0 50.0
Mar 37.4 69 150 -1 123 39 189 -1 63.0 52.0 38.0
Apr 17 5 112 72 40 17 52 263 85.0 7.0 66.0
May 16.5 20 18 22 20 92 52 3 9.0 15.0 5.0
Jun 13.5 114 25 47 4 32 157 199 5.0 48.0 38.0
Jul 210 6 229 79 324 126.5 185 436 89.0 517.0 305.0
Aug 454 516.5 282 242 130 207 259 267 169.0 364.0 137.0
Sep 11 147 207 64 88 78 69 88 44.0 32.0 77.0
Oct 0 15 12 70 36 44 0 12 4.0 1.0 43.0
Nov 43 -1 19 30 5 26 17 16 11.0 0.0 19.0
Dec -1 62 36 25 0 88 3 59 0.0 7.0 0.0
THUNDERSTORMS (DAYS) KAMRA
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Jan 0 3 2 0 1 2 3 1 3 0 1
Feb 2 2 0 3 2 3 3 3 0 1 1
Mar 1 8 6 7 7 5 2 12 8 7 4
Apr 12 4 7 6 7 9 10 5 4 4 9
May 8 6 6 6 8 6 8 10 6 10 8
Jun 8 6 10 9 13 6 9 5 13 7 19
Jul 20 12 15 15 11 21 11 21 13 18 16
Aug 15 16 15 15 21 13 15 14 12 16 17
Sep 11 12 11 9 9 8 4 7 9 9 6
Oct 4 2 3 2 3 1 8 3 6 0 6
Nov 0 4 0 3 0 1 1 2 3 1 1
Dec 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 4.2
WIND SPEED AT 0500 PM (knots) KAMRA
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 1.3 0.8 1.2 2.1 3.2 4.8 4.4 4.8 3.8 2.5 3.6
Feb 5.3 6.3 3.4 0.9 4.5 5.1 5.6 5.9 7.9 6.5 6.6
Mar 4.8 4.1 4.6 4.1 6.4 7.7 7.3 6.8 6.7 6.4 5.9
Apr 3.4 6.1 4.3 6.5 7.2 7.9 6.1 7 7.8 9.3 8.1
May 5.8 8.6 7.2 7 8.1 6.8 9.7 11.6 8.5 11.1 6.9
Jun 9.2 8.9 8.5 9.5 9.9 8.9 9.7 12.2 10.6 13.3 11.4
Jul 6.4 8.7 5.9 11.5 9.4 11 7.4 10.2 12.1 11.9 8.8
Aug 4.5 6 4.1 7.2 8.6 7.4 6.6 7.4 9.1 6.5 8.3
Sep 3.2 3.6 2.4 5.5 5 5.5 6.5 3.9 4.5 6.3 6.1
Oct 1.2 0.5 1.4 4.8 3.4 1.7 1.7 2.3 3.7 2.6 5.2
Nov 0.9 1.9 0.9 0.4 2.1 2.3 0.8 1.2 2.9 2.1 3.1
Dec 0.8 1.6 1 1.9 1 3.8 2.1 1.7 2.6 1.4 0.9
WIND SPEED AT 08: 00 AM (knots) KAMRA
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Jan 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.9 1 2.1 0.5 0.9 0.6 1.0 0.5
Feb 0.1 1.1 1 3.7 2.1 0.1 1.9 0.6 2.4 2.1 1.9
Mar 0.4 1.2 1.5 0.5 1.4 2.3 1.7 1.4 1.9 0.6 1.7
Apr 0.6 2.5 1.7 2.1 2.4 4.1 1.8 3.1 3.3 3.9 2.3
May 3.5 5 3 3.8 9.4 3 4.5 5.7 4.5 4.5 4.2
Jun 6.7 4.1 3.5 5.9 7.1 6.7 7.9 7.8 4.0 4.1 8.5
Jul 4.7 3.4 5.6 6.3 5.9 6.4 6.2 6.3 9.3 8.9 5.5
Aug 3 5.1 2.6 4.4 3.2 4.3 4.6 3 8.4 5.5 6.1
Sep 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.7 4 3.5 4.5 4.3 1.7 3.9 3.2
Oct 0.9 0.1 0.1 2.9 1.2 0.1 0 0.5 0.3 1.6 1.2
Nov 0.5 0.2 0.5 0 0.3 0.8 0.1 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.8
Dec 0 0.5 0.5 0.7 0 2 0.2 0.7 0.2 0.4 0.0
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 4.3
APPENDIX – 4.3
PALAS CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Prospects and implications of promoting Palas Valley, Kohistan
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site/Man and Biosphere Reserve
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This is the report of a mission to Pakistan in August-September 2003 to review the
potential for World Heritage or Biosphere Reserve listing for the Palas Valley in the
Northwest Frontier District of Pakistan.
The Palas Valley is a large well-preserved "ecological unit" with global importance
for rare and endemic birds and flowering plants. It supports populations of the full
range of mammal species of the western Himalayan. Hindu Kush region. On these
grounds it should qualify for listing as a natural site under section 44 (a) (iv) of the
operational guidelines for the WHC.
A number of issues would have to be addressed in order to meet the criteria for
integrity for listing under the WHC. Potential threats from over-stocking with domestic
animals and from commercial logging must be anticipated, as both of these activities
will threaten the World Heritage values of the site. A management plan will need to
be prepared. A legal, institutional and regulatory status will need to be established
that will guarantee the maintenance of World Heritage values.
Additional and more in-depth studies of the fauna and flora are needed to add weight
to the nomination - the flora still needs greater study as it is potentially rich in
endemic or limited-range species. Biosphere reserve designation could provide the
framework for increased intensity of research effort. Research should be closely
linked to management and should draw on local traditional knowledge.
Efforts to fully engage the Palasi people in the decision making about the future of
the Valley need to be reinforced. These should be both formal mechanisms - through
Jirgas etc. and informal mechanisms through greater involvement of local people in
project field activities. This will require greater and more sustained field presence of
PCDP staff.
Field facilities should be constructed to enable project staff and other legitimate
visitors to have better working conditions in the Valley. These facilities should initially
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 4.3
be constructed close to areas of prime Tragopan habitat. Local materials and
methods of construction should be used.
As well as negotiating conservation agreements at the level of the entire Valley or
with the Khels - sub-tribes - it may be worth working with individual families living
adjacent to prime forest areas in order to ensure the conservation of these areas as
a sanctus-sanctorum. These areas might either be subject to a management
agreement or might be purchased and held in trust.
The legal category of Community Managed Wildlife Reserve would appear to be
the most appropriate designation to ensure the maintenance of the conservation
values of the entire Valley under existing Government KPK legislation.
The PCDP should seek to identify development pathways for the Palasi people that
do not require the construction of roads into the Valley. Project development
interventions should promote income-generating activities that do not require roads.
The PCDP should also review options for limiting the growth of livestock numbers in
the Valley and develop a sector strategy.
Assuming that some progress is made on the institutional and legal issues a mission
should be fielded in spring of 2004 to prepare a nomination for World Heritage listing.
In the meantime the Pakistan authorities should be encouraged to designate the
Palas Valley as a Biosphere Reserve and to expand research activities in the area
accordingly.
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 5.1
APPENDIX – 5.1
RECORD OF PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS
Sr. Date Venue Name of Participants Concerns
No.
1. 11-12- Village/Town 1. Irfan Afzal - Ex UC  We are in the favor of the project but NTDC should
2012 - Pathar Garh Nazim satisfy the affected persons regarding the
Union Council 2. Muhammad Aslam – compensation of lost assets.
- Sontaki Ex Wapda  Agriculture area should be avoided and barren land
Tehsil Employee will be utilized for construction of T/Ls.
- Hassan Abdal
3. Haji Alla Dad  Similarly, populated area should be avoided and
4. Muhammad Fayyaz vacant lands would be utilized for the installation of
District
5. Asif Mehmood towers.
- Attock 6. Habibul Rehman  Land for Grid Station in Pathar Grah should be
7. Muhammad acquired according to prevailing market value of
Maskeen land.
8. Sarfraz Khan  Privacy of women regarded with due respect during
9. Tariq Mehmood construction and operational stages of the proposed
10. Amad Ali project.
11. Muhammad Zareen  Local labor of the village should be hired during the
12. Razi Khan construction of the project.
13. Farman Elahi  Before start of the work, the affected persons should
14. Sher Ali Khan be consulted and compensated for their losses.
15. Shafqat Ali Khan
16. Liaqat Ali Khan
17. Arshad Ali Khan
18. Rab Nawaz
19. Gulzar Ali
2. 11-12- Village/Town 1. Malik Nasir  We are already facing land shortage, because due to
2012 - Katcha-Jallo 2. Malik Rab Nawaz construction of Motorway, GT Road and Railway
Union Council 3. Syed Mubarik Shah Line, major part of agriculture land was utilized by
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 5.1
Sr. Date Venue Name of Participants Concerns
No.
- Jallo 4. HameedMubarik these projects.
Tehsil 5. Ishrat Ali  Already three heavy T/Ls are crossing over our
- Hassan Abdal 6. Shamsher Khan lands; therefore, you are requested to change the
District 7. Bilal Ahmdad T/L routes.
- Attock
8. Malik Ahsan  There is also a housing society (Wah Model Town
9. Malik Nisar Phase III) nearby our village, which could also cause
10. Saadat Ali Khan hindrance in this project.
11. Muhammad Din  The participants of the meeting suggested an
12. Mujahid Khan alternate route of the T/Ls. NTDC plan to pass the
13. Kareem Khan line along the right side of the M-I from Khacha-Jallo
14. Ahmad Ali Khan to Phathar Garh and at Pather Garh the T/Ls will
15. Ashraf Ali Khan cross the M-1 and connect with proposed Grid
16. Altaf Ahmad Station. The said area is heavily populated and also
includes a large residential society (Wah Model
Town Phase-III), which is under planning and can be
a hindrance for NTDC. The Participants suggested
that if NTDC cross the T/Ls to M-1 straight on the
west side of the village Kacha-Jallo and go to
proposed site of Grid Station (Jang Bahtar) along the
left side of the M-1 that will be more feasible. The
ESIC team has visited the proposed route along the
both sides of M-1 and observed the impacts that can
be reduced to adopt the route along left side as
compare the right side of the M-1.
3. 12-12- Village/Town 1. Muhammad Daood  Agriculture land is in the form of small holdings,
2012 - Chaprian 2. Muhammad Masood therefore it should be endeavored to save that the
Union Council 3. Maqbool Ali line would pass through barren land.
- Chaprian 4. Muhammad Riasat  We provide two options for smooth execution of the
Tehsil 5. Tanvir Ali project: (a) The line should pass along the base of
6. Ali Jan the mountains, so that settlement and agriculture
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 5.1
Sr. Date Venue Name of Participants Concerns
No.
- Ghazi 7. Ghulan Khan land will be saved; (b) The route of T/line should be
District 8. Abid Ali along the Qay Nulla involving the settlements;
- Haripur 9. Sojat Ali Katcha-Jallo – Bafad – Niko – Sabz Peer - Goonga –
10. Sajawal Ali Bharwal - Mohri – Kanwan – Palar Chugi – Bherian –
11. Muhammad Ameer Chamba – Khalabatt. This route will involve relatively
less resettlement and other social impacts because
along this the mostly land is barren and not being
used for any productive activities.
 A newly proposed road by NHA from Hassanabdal to
Gilgit is also passing through the Chapprian village
and most of the land is being acquired from the land
owners of the Chapprian village for the purpose of
this road construction.
 We will not support this project, unless they are
provided with alternate land. Because the land will
be lost forever and they will not be able to construct
house and plant trees under the line.
4. 12-12- Village/Town 1. Muhammad Usman  It is good development to invest in power
2012 - Narra 2. Zafar Ali enhancement projects as we are facing acute power
Union Council 3. Shoukat Ali shortage.
- Dheldal 4. Muhammad Javed  Rights of the affected persons should be expedite
Tehsil 5. Misbah Khan and given due attention while implementing project.
- Haripur 6. Khalid Nawaz  Sufficient compensation should be given for the
7. Rab Nawaz damages due to the installation of towers and
District
8. Raheem Bux stringing activities.
- Haripur
 The area under T/Ls towers will be wasted and
cannot be utilized appropriately, so handsome
compensation should be given to affected persons.
5. 13-12- Village/Town 1. Haibat Khan  We are in the favor of project but adequate
2012 - Darwaza 2. Azam Khan compensation should be paid for the loss of trees
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 5.1
Sr. Date Venue Name of Participants Concerns
No.
Union Council 3. Muhammad Altaf and crops and other losses.
- Bher 4. Muhammad Sajjad  The affectees of already constructed T/L by WAPDA
Tehsil 5. Tahir Iqbal have not yet been compensated. It is anticipated that
- Haripur 6. Asim Shehzad the same would not be practiced for the proposed
District 7. Muhammad Iqbal project.
- Haripur
8. Amar Nawaz Khan  Bab-e-Tanawal foundation comprising of 25-30
9. Abuzar Ghaffari members which is actively working in the village and
10. Mian Khan participating in all kind of the developmental activities
11. Aureng Zaib of the area.
12. Kudadad Khan  We do not expect any direct benefit from this project,
13. Rajib Ali but for the development of the country, we are ready
14. Kazim Ali to cooperate to the possible extent.
15. Muhammad Tariq  Project benefits will be shared for well-being of the
16. Shahid Ali affected persons.
17. Muhammad Khalid
18. Afzal Ali
6. 14-12- Village/Town 1. Fida Muhammad  It is a good step that all the developmental activities
2012 - Sherwan Kalan Khan are evaluated from social point of view and the
Union Council 2. Haji Rahim Dad residents of project area are being consulted before
- Sherwan 3. Jan Muhammad start of the project.
Tehsil 4. Kareem Tanoli  It is proposed that the T/Ls route should be along the
5. Iftikhar Hussain
- Abbotabad road, so that the access would be available during
6. Jahan Sher Khan construction, operation and maintenance of
District
7. Muhammad Moosa transmission line.
- Abbotabad 8. Ibrahim Tanoli  The people of the area are cooperative and will not
9. Tufail Mughal pose any problem during the T/L construction
10. Ilyas Ali provided they are satisfactorily compensated by the
NTDC.
 The residents of this area will be happy if new
access routes are made by the contractors during
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 5.1
Sr. Date Venue Name of Participants Concerns
No.
T/L construction. Because, there are many areas
near villages; Rattian and Kamila, where access is
not available.
 In the jurisdiction of Sherwan Police Station, a
committee/Jirga has been formulated. This Jirga
plays vital role in the resolution of all the disputes of
area. During construction of T/L, if any such
hindrance arises, that will be resolved by the Jirga.
7. 15-12- Village/Town 1. Raees Azam  Good to see that the power infrastructure
2012 - Kotla Bala 2. Dildar Khan development is gradually improving in the country.
Union Council 3. Shafi Khan We hope that investment in the power sector will
- Icharrian 4. Haq Nawaz help to reduce power shortage and minimize the
Tehsil 5. Haji Muhammad frequent power outages.
- Oogi Saleem  We want that social issues will be given top priority
6. Sado Khan while constructing Transmission lines and minimum
District
7. Muhammad loss policy will be adopted as far as possible.
- Mansehra Riffique  However, we suggest that right of the affected
8. Muhammad Tufail persons will be restored to satisfactory level so that
9. Muhammad Sadiq the developmental activities will be accepted and
10. Rashid Iqbal appreciated throughout the country.
11. Muhammad Din
12. Amjad Ali
13. Sahib Khan
8. 15-12- Village/Town 1. Asif Khan  Agriculture land is in small patches, therefore, the
2012 - Khaki 2. Hakim Khan line should cross through barren mountains. If
Union Council 3. Pir Muhammad inevitable, the affected persons should be paid for
- Perhenna 4. Roshan Khan the loss of crops and trees.
Tehsil 5. Khush Rang Khan  The proposed Transmission lines are of high voltage,
6. Feroz Din
- Ougi therefore the populated areas should be avoided to
7. Nazir Khan the possible extent.
District
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 5.1
Sr. Date Venue Name of Participants Concerns
No.
- Mansehra 8. Muhammad Iqbal  No direct benefit is expected from the line but, it is
9. Javaid Ali recommended that the labor for construction of T/L
10. Qadir Bux should be hired from local areas.
 Local norms and customs would be practiced during
project construction and operation. The privacy of
underlying resident should not be impaired.
9. 16-12- Village/Town 1. Haq Nawaz  Initially the Transmission lines will be constructed in
2012 - Shamdarrah 2. Khan Bahadur open areas and on vacant lands, but later on, due to
Union Council 3. Muhammad Inayat increasing population, the houses cannot be
- Shamdarrah 4. Khadim Hussain constructed under the lines.
Tehsil 5. Bashir Ahmad  No large trees can be grown under the transmission
6. Like Muhammad
- Ougi line, which is another obstruction.
District 7. Iftikhar Ahmad  If an affected person has only 10 marla area for
8. Hussain Khan growing crop and vegetables, which will be lost due
- Mansehra 9. Nazir Ahmad to construction of tower in that land. The NTDC
10. Shahid Khan should compensate him by providing alternate land.
11. Gulzar Khan  Construction of two towers does not mean only the
12. Jahangir Khan loss of 6 marla land, rather whole canal is devalued.
13. Jahanzeb Khan Nobody will be agreed to purchase that land after
14. Rustam Khan tower construction.
15. Tayyab Khan  Before start of the work, the affected persons should
be consulted and compensated for their losses.
 In spite of all the afore-mentioned apprehensions,
the residents of this area will cooperate in the
construction of proposed transmission lines.
10. 17-12- Village/Town 1. Riaz Khan  Construction of T/L is very prospective development
2012 - Bazargai 2. Chan Zaib in our area but we cannot see any direct benefit from
Union Council 3. Baz Khan the proposed project. The main obsession is that the
- Ajmera 4. Shamroz Jan electricity will not be provided to us. Similarly, the
5. Dukhtar Khan labor will be hired by the Contractor from other areas
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 5.1
Sr. Date Venue Name of Participants Concerns
No.
Tehsil 6. Niaz Akhtar of the country and the overall situation of the area
- Battagram 7. Gul Khan remains same.
District 8. Taj Haider  The Government and NTDC should plan some social
- Battagram 9. Haji Ghulam Ishaque welfare projects along with such major projects for
the well-being of the affected persons as well as
other people along the T/L corridor.
11. 17-12- Village/Town 1. Haji Dalwar Khan  Dassu Dam construction and hydro power
2012 - Chapargram 2. Zameen Khan generation is very good development to cater energy
Union Council 3. Shafiq Khan loss as well as for the prosperity of Kohistan. We will
- Ajmera 4. Attaullah Khan cooperate for the proposed project in national
Tehsil 5. Noraz Khan interest.
- Battagram
6. Muhammad Shah  It is also worth mentioning that often development
7. Syed Waqar Shah projects of such nature deprived from the project
District
8. Gul Zaman benefits for the local people. So, it is suggested that
- Battagram 9. Muhammad Navid the project benefits will be shared with local people.
10. Muhammd Khan  We will accept that minimum damage will be
11. Zahid Khan occurred during the installation of towers and for that
12. Usman Khan adequate compensation will be paid to affected
13. Muhammad Hussain persons.
12. 29-11- Village/Town 1. Jamal Nasir –  We will cooperate with the proposed development to
2012 - Banna Political the possible extent. However, the generous
Union Council Representative demands of affected persons will be fulfilled for
- Banna 2. Muhammad Kamal – smooth work progress.
Tehsil WAPDA Employee  In the recently constructed T/L in our area, I was
3. Gul Muhammad
- Allai actively involved in the dialogue process between
4. Muhammad Sultan protestors and executing agencies for restoration of
District
5. Shah Faisal Khan the terminated work at site.
- Battagram 6. Qazi Rehman  Allai area is rich of vegetation being high an altitude.
7. Falak Khan The rich biodiversity is recognition of this area. If
8. Sherin Rehman possible alternate route will be analyzed or may
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 5.1
Sr. Date Venue Name of Participants Concerns
No.
9. Anwar Rehman consider minimum disturbance to the biodiversity.
10. Aslam Ali
11. Abdul Rehman
12. Bakhtiar Khan
13. Hasan Khan
14. Niaz Khan
15. Muhammad
Javaid
16. Safdar Khan
17. Zameer Khan
29-11- Village/Town 1. Mian Khan  Job opportunities will be provided to the locals on
13. 2012 - Tailoos 2. Shams ul Haq priority basis during the construction of the proposed
Union Council 3. Arshad Ali project as people of our area will go to other areas
- Tailoos 4. Arshad Iqbal for the labor and employment.
Tehsil 5. Khayyal Muhammad  During construction local customs and norms will be
6. Gul Rehman
- Allai followed particularly with respect to privacy of
7. Nizam Khan women.
District
- Battagram
8. Gul Zaman  Infrastructure facilities will be improved along with
basic utilities in our village as we are lacking the
basic services. Educational facilities will also be
provided to educate and aware our children’s.
14. 29-11- Village/Town 1. Shahbaz Khan  During the construction of T/L project approach
2012 - Pashto 2. Sarwar Khan roads will be required for the construction purposes.
Union Council 3. Noor Khan It is an old practice that compensation will be only
- Pashto 4. Barkatullah made for the land under T/L tower base and the
Tehsil 5. Ghulamullah compensation was not made for constructing
6. Jawad Khan approach roads. It is requested that compensation
- Allai
7. Gul Nawaz should be made for the damages that occur during
District
8. Ghulam Khan the construction of approach roads.
- Battagram 9. Bahroz Khan  It is also recommended that the Contractor will
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 5.1
Sr. Date Venue Name of Participants Concerns
No.
10. Arshad Khan inform locals prior to construction work at site. So,
11. Habib Ahmad the crops, trees, assets etc. in ROW will be
12. Ashfaque Khan salvaged.
13. Muhammad Asif
14. Iqbal Khan
15. 28-11- Village/Town 1. Moulana  Job opportunities should be provided to the locals for
2012 - Bada Kot Asmatulla Khan the proposed T/L.
Union Council 2. Muhammad Afzal  Rights of the APs should be given due consideration
- Haran 3. Younis Khan and issues of APs should be addressed properly.
Tehsil 4. Abdul Hannan  In our area young’s are very determine to gain
5. Mufti Khan
- Palas trainings, so training opportunities should be given to
6. Ayub Khan the Younger’s of the area.
District
- Kohistan
7. Nowsher Khan  Most of the people migrated in other areas only to
8. Moulana Abdul provide quality education to their children’s. So
Mustahan education and health facilities should be provided for
9. GulRoh Khan the welfare of the locals.
10. MalakWadan  In our area electricity is not available, so the Pattan
11. Abdul Qadeer grid station should be upgraded for the dispersal of
12. Haji Rehman power to our area.
13. Seqool Khan  Houses and agriculture lands should be avoided as
14. Abdul Sajood much as possible.
15. Sarwar Khan  Maximum weightage should be given to the
16. Malik Sabir agriculture lands as compare to the easy approach
17. Malik Mehbab for the installation of tower (plain areas).
18. Malik Sehrab
16. 28-11- Village/Town 1. Haibut Khan-X  We will welcome any kind of development in the best
2012 - Shalkhan Abad Nazim UC Shalkan interest of our country. However, we will also
Union Council Abad demand that the electricity should be provided free of
- Shalkhan Abad 2. Mufti Mahmood cost in our area.
3. Jahnzeb Khan  The compensation should be provided sufficiently to
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 5.1
Sr. Date Venue Name of Participants Concerns
No.
Tehsil 4. Haji Abdul Qayum cater the loss of our land and livelihood.
- Palas 5. Haji Gulzar  Installation of tower will cause disturbance to our
District 6. Haji Orangzeb crops, lands, trees etc. people of area have small
- Kohistan 7. Noor Dad land holdings for agriculture, so the compensation
8. Muhammad Ilyas should be handsome to restore their livelihood.
9. Ahmad Yousaf  No revenue record of land is available here.
10. Gulab Khan  Land is marked by the owner tribe
11. Abdul Rahim  Major occupations in the area are livestock raring,
12. Anwar Badshah wood cutting, agriculture, labour etc.
13. MoulviQasim  Govt. Middle School in the area is operational since
14. Naseem Khan 1995 by a local NGO.
15. Saiful Rehman  Basic utilities are not available in the area i.e.
16. Abdul Rehman electricity and natural gas
17. Khalil Ullah  Disputes are solved by Jirga
17. 18-12- Village/Town Pattan Islahi  Construction of T/Ls in the hilly area towards Palas
2012 - Pattan Committee/Jirga valley will be a difficult task, therefore, it is proposed
Tehsil Pattan, that the T/Line should run parallel to the Indus River.
- Pattan 1. Jamal Khan  The major hurdles in Palas valley route will include;
District 2. Haji Yar Dad protected forest, small patches of land used for
3. Dasham Khan
- Kohistan agriculture, snow falling during winter, lack of access
4. GulShehzad and difficulties for repair and maintenance activities.
5. Muhammad Saffa  The objective of this suggestion was that the
6. Haji Abdul Kareem community wanted the line should cross through
7. Haji Abdul Majid their area of influence so that their own community
8. Haji Dost would be benefited from the project.
Muhammad  Willingness to participate in the process of execution
9. Haji Nawab of the project.
10. Qari Dost  The compensation should be assessed based on
Muhammad prevailing local market rates of the area and the
11. Mir Dad
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 5.1
Sr. Date Venue Name of Participants Concerns
No.
12. Malik Badshah nature of the land involved under the proposed T/Ls.
18. 19-12- Pak Mission 1. Rajar Rofis – Project  Pak Mission Society is a Para-Movement Church
2012 Society (NGO) Manager based relief and development organization, which
Pattan, 2. Abdul Sattar–Tehsil cover business, development, financial,
Tehsil Coordinator management, technical, pastoral, health and
Pattan 3. Ashfaq Maqbool – education expertise. Pak Mission Society is working
District Assistant Project in Kohistan area for the above mentioned expertise.
Kohistan Manager The society is also running Middle School at
4. Dushnm Khan– Field Shelkhan Abad in the Govt. school building. We are
Worker engaged in the education and health sector
5. Gul Shahzada– Field improvement at Shelkhan Abad and other areas of
Worker Kohistan. Our objective is to provide quality
education and better health facilities for the people of
Kohistan.
 The proposed development will be beneficial for the
Kohistan area and bring prosperity along with better
opportunities in the area.
19. 20-12- Village/Town 1. Jan Muhammad  It is requested that tree cutting will be avoided in the
2012 - Seo 2. Gul Muhammad ROW to the possible extent, as the trees are
Union Council 3. Nawazish Ali precious here and prevailing trend of the trees
- Seo 4. Akbar Ali cutting in the area has significantly reduced dense
Tehsil 5. Yasir Khan forests.
- Dassu 6. Naveed Jan  The fair compensation will be made for the affected
7. Noor Khan crops, trees, lands, and other assets prior to
District
8. Dilbar Khan construction of the proposed project.
- Kohistan 9. Dost Khan  The land ownership in this area is not recorded but
10. Sohrab Khan the local elders (Jirga members) knew who the
11. Kamal Khan genuine occupant and how the compensation will be
divided in their tribe.
 Local labor will be hired so that the locals will support
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 5.1
Sr. Date Venue Name of Participants Concerns
No.
proposed development and will allow room in their
areas for construction of T/L.
20. 28-11- Village/Town Chirag Abad  Three major tribes in Komila 1) Shamat Khel, 2) But
2012 - Komila Society Khel, and 3) Akhar (blacksmith)
Union Council 1. Gulab Shah  In our area decision are usually made by jirga and
- Komila 2. Ahsanullah Jirga is the highest decision making institution -elder
Tehsil 3. Ahsan Ayoub persons / influentials are nominated to become Jirga
- Dassu
4. Salam Dar member. For decision within the tribe –elders from
5. Hibab Shah different branches normally takes the role of Jirga
District
6. Haji Sulmain Shah members. Jirga decisions are always oral and
- Kohistan 7. Mannan Khan announced in public and accepted by all.
8. Habibul Rehman  In case one party disagree with Jirga decision, that
9. Zainul Rehman case goes to Maulvi for Sharia decision- group of
10. Ziadad Khan Mullahs (5-6) than decide the case through sharia
11. Jamroz laws.
12. Mujeeb Rehman  The participants of consultations held in Komila and
13. Haji Shah Pattan specially mentioned their experience with
14. Ameer Khan NTDC. A 220 KV Dubair-Khankhawar-Mansehra-
15. Akbar Shah Islamabad transmission line recently completed by
16. Syed Haroon NTDC where the implementation agency never holds
17. Muhammad consultation with the affected persons at design and
18. Noorul Haq implementation stages. Numbers of affected persons
19. Nazar Rehman are not paid compensation even after the tower
20. Muhammad Feroze erection and stringing. Further even the direct
21. Muhammad Ayoub affected persons were not consulted for the
22. Sardar Ayoub assessment of losses. The entire Pattan community
decided to block the construction of two towers in
protest. The consultations recommended for a fair
and transparent process with the involvement of
local representatives.
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 5.1
Sr. Date Venue Name of Participants Concerns
No.
 Avoid construction of towers or develop any road
through the cultivation terrace as terrace cultivation
is the lifeline of the household and cost months of
labor and years to stabilize.
 In case it is extremely unavoidable to save the
terrace the project should be responsible to restore it
in its original condition and pay proper compensation
for at least three crops.
21. 30-11- Salak 1. Fazal Subhan - Field  Salak Foundation is providing better health facilities
2012 Development Coordinator in five health centers in district Kohistan. The Salik
Foundation (NGO) 2. Dr. Hafeez Foundation has also established fix center for polio
Komila, Pattan 3. Dr. Taj Muhammad campaign in their respective center on request of
Tehsil 4. Jahnzeb Salik Health Department Kohistan
Dassu, Pattan 5. Liaqiat Ali - Field  We will accept that with the implementation of
District Coordinator proposed development the social life of the Kohistani
Kohistan 6. Ahmad Khan - Field people will improve. It is also accepted during
Coordinator construction activities health of local people will not
7. Jahnzeb Khan – be compromised.
Education Promoter
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project APPENDIX- 7.1
APPENDIX – 7.1
WORLD BANK’S ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH, AND SAFETY (EHS)
GUIDELINES
2.0 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
Applicability and Approach
Employers and supervisors are obliged to implement all reasonable precautions to
protect the health and safety of workers.
Preventive and protective measures should be introduced according to the following
order of priority:
 Eliminating the hazard by removing the activity from the work process.
Examples include substitution with less hazardous chemicals, using
different manufacturing processes, etc.
 Controlling the hazard at its source through use of engineering controls.
Examples include local exhaust ventilation, isolation rooms, machine
guarding, acoustic insulating, etc.
 Minimizing the hazard through design of safe work systems and
administrative or institutional control measures. Examples include job
rotation, training safe work procedures, lock-out and tag-out, workplace
monitoring, limiting exposure or work duration, etc.
 Providing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in conjunction
with training, use, and maintenance of the PPE.
2.1 General Facility Design and Operation
Integrity of Workplace Structures
Permanent and recurrent places of work should be designed and equipped to protect
OHS:
 Surfaces, structures and installations should be easy to clean and
maintain, and not allow for accumulation of hazardous compounds.
 Buildings should be structurally safe, provide appropriate protection
against the climate, and have acceptable light and noise conditions.
 Fire resistant, noise-absorbing materials should, to the extent feasible, be
used for cladding on ceilings and walls.
 Floors should be level, even, and non-skid.
 Heavy oscillating, rotating or alternating equipment should be located in
dedicated buildings or structurally isolated sections.
Severe Weather and Facility Shutdown
 Work place structures should be designed and constructed to withstand
the expected elements for the region and have an area designated for safe
refuge, if appropriate.
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 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) should be developed for project or
process shut-down, including an evacuation plan. Drills to practice the
procedure and plan should also be undertaken annually.
Workspace and Exit
 The space provided for each worker, and in total, should be adequate for
safe execution of all activities, including transport and interim storage of
materials and products.
 Passages to emergency exits should be unobstructed at all times. Exits
should be clearly marked to be visible in total darkness. The number and
capacity of emergency exits should be sufficient for safe and orderly
evacuation of the greatest number of people present at any time, and
there should be a minimum two exits from any work area
 Facilities also should be designed and built taking into account the needs
of disabled persons.
Lavatories and Showers
 Adequate lavatory facilities (toilets and washing areas) should be provided for
the number of people expected to work in the facility and allowances made for
segregated facilities, or for indicating whether the toilet facility is “In Use” or
“Vacant”.
 Toilet facilities should also be provided with adequate supplies of hot and cold
running water, soap, and hand drying devices Where workers may be
exposed to substances poisonous by ingestion and skin contamination may
occur, facilities for showering and changing into and out of street and work
clothes should be provided.
Potable Water Supply
 Adequate supplies of potable drinking water should be provided from a
fountain with an upward jet or with a sanitary means of collecting the water for
the purposes of drinking.
 Water supplied to areas of food preparation or for the purpose of personal
hygiene (washing or bathing) should meet drinking water quality standards.
First Aid
 The employer should ensure that qualified first-aid can be provided at all
times. Appropriately equipped first-aid stations should be easily accessible
throughout the place of work.
 Eye-wash stations and/or emergency showers should be provided close to all
workstations where immediate flushing with water is the recommended first-
aid response.
 Where the scale of work or the type of activity being carried out so requires,
dedicated and appropriately equipped first aid room(s) should be provided.
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First aid stations and rooms should be equipped with gloves, gowns, and
masks for protection against direct contact with blood and other body fluids.
 Remote sites should have written emergency procedures in place for dealing
with cases of trauma or serious illness up to the point at which patient care
can be transferred to an appropriate medical facility.
2.2 Communication and Training
OHS Training
 Provisions should be made to provide OHS orientation training to all new
employees to ensure they are apprised of the basic site rules of work at / on
the site and of personal protection and preventing injury to fellow employees.
 Training should consist of basic hazard awareness, site specific Hazards, safe
work practices, and emergency procedures for fire, evacuation, and natural
disaster, as appropriate. Any site-specific hazard or color coding in use should
be thoroughly reviewed as part of orientation training.
New Task Employee and Contractor Training
The employer should ensure that workers and contractors, prior to commencement
of new assignments, have received adequate training understands work hazards and
to protect their health from hazardous ambient factors that may be present. The
training should adequately cover:
 Knowledge of materials, equipment, and tools
 Known hazards in the operations and how they are
 controlled
 Potential risks to health
 Precautions to prevent exposure
 Hygiene requirements
 Wearing and use of protective equipment and clothing
 Appropriate response to operation extremes, incidents and accidents
2.3 Physical Hazards
Physical hazards represent potential for accident or injury or illness due to repetitive
exposure to mechanical action or work activity. Single exposure to physical hazards
may result in a wide range of injuries, from minor and medical aid only, to disabling,
catastrophic, and/or fatal. Multiple exposures over prolonged periods can result in
disabling injuries of comparable significance and consequence.
Noise
 No employee should be exposed to a noise level greater than 85 dB(A) for a
duration of more than 8 hours per day without hearing protection. In addition,
no unprotected ear should be exposed to a peak sound pressure level
(instantaneous) of more than 140 dB(C).
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 The use of hearing protection should be enforced actively when the equivalent
sound level over 8 hours reaches 85 dB(A), the peak sound levels reach 140
dB(C), or the average maximum sound level reaches 110dB(A). Hearing
protective devices provided should be capable of reducing sound levels at the
ear to at least 85 dB(A).
 Although hearing protection is preferred for any period of noise exposure in
excess of 85 dB(A), an equivalent level of protection can be obtained, but less
easily managed, by limiting the duration of noise exposure. For every 3 dB(A)
increase in sound levels, the ‘allowed’ exposure period or durati on should be
reduced by 50 percent.
 Prior to the issuance of hearing protective devices as the final control
mechanism, use of acoustic insulating materials, isolation of the noise source,
and other engineering controls should be investigated and implemented,
where feasible.
 Periodic medical hearing checks should be performed on workers exposed to
high noise levels.
Vibration
Exposure to hand-arm vibration from equipment such as hand and power tools, or
whole-body vibrations from surfaces on which the worker stands or sits, should be
controlled through choice of equipment, installation of vibration dampening pads or
devices, and limiting the duration of exposure. Limits for vibration and action values,
(i.e. the level of exposure at which remediation should be initiated) are provided by
the ACGIH66. Exposure levels should be checked on the basis of daily exposure
time and data provided by equipment manufacturers.
Welding / Hot Work
Welding creates an extremely bright and intense light that may seriously injure a
worker’s eyesight. In extreme cases, blindness may result. Additionally, welding may
produce noxious fumes to which prolonged exposure can cause serious chronic
diseases. Recommended measures include:
 Provision of proper eye protection such as welder goggle sand/or a full-face
eye shield for all personnel involved in, or assisting, welding operations.
Additional methods may include the use of welding barrier screens around the
specific work station (a solid piece of light metal, canvas, or plywood designed
to block welding light from others). Devices to extract and remove noxious
fumes at the source may also be required.
 Special hot work and fire prevention precautions and Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs) should be implemented if welding or hot cutting is
undertaken outside established welding work stations, including ‘Hot Work
Permits, stand-by fire extinguishers, stand-by fire watch, and maintaining the
fire watch for up to one hour after welding or hot cutting has terminated.
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Special procedures are required for hot work on tanks or vessels that have
contained flammable materials.
Working Environment Temperature
Exposure to hot or cold working conditions in indoor or outdoor environments can
result temperature stress-related injury or death. Use of personal protective
equipment (PPE) to protect against other occupational hazards can accentuate and
aggravate heat-related illnesses. Extreme temperatures in permanent work
environments should be avoided through implementation of engineering controls and
ventilation. Where this is not possible, such as during short-term outdoor work,
temperature-related stress management procedures should be implemented which
include:
 Monitoring weather forecasts for outdoor work to provide advance warning of
extreme weather and scheduling work accordingly.
 Adjustment of work and rest periods according to temperature stress
management procedures provided by depending on the temperature and
workloads.
 Providing temporary shelters to protect against the elements during working
activities or for use as rest areas. Use of protective clothing.
 Providing easy access to adequate hydration such as drinking water or
electrolyte drinks, and avoiding consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Ergonomics, Repetitive Motion, Manual Handling
Injuries due to ergonomic factors, such as repetitive motion, overexertion, and
manual handling, take prolonged and repeated exposures to develop, and typically
require periods of weeks to months for recovery. These OHS problems should be
minimized or eliminated to maintain a productive workplace. Controls may include:
 Facility and workstation design with 5th to 95th percentile operational and
maintenance workers in mind.
 Use of mechanical assists to eliminate or reduce exertions required to lift
materials, hold tools and work objects, and requiring multi-person lifts if
weights exceed thresholds selecting and designing tools that reduce force
requirements and holding times, and improve postures.
 Providing user adjustable work stations.
 Incorporating rest and stretch breaks into work processes, and conducting job
rotation.
 Implementing quality control and maintenance programs that reduce
unnecessary forces and exertions, taking into consideration additional special
conditions such as left handed persons.
2.4 Chemical Hazards
Chemical hazards represent potential for illness or injury due to single acute
exposure or chronic repetitive exposure to toxic, corrosive, sensitizing or oxidative
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substances. They also represent a risk of uncontrolled reaction, including the risk of
fire and explosion, if incompatible chemicals are inadvertently mixed. Chemical
hazards can most effectively be prevented through a hierarchical approach that
includes.
 Replacement of the hazardous substance with a less hazardous substitute
Implementation of engineering and administrative control measures to avoid
or minimize the release of hazardous substances into the work environment
keeping the level of exposure below internationally established or recognized
limits.
 Keeping the number of employees exposed, or likely to become exposed, to a
minimum Communicating chemical hazards to workers through labeling and
marking according to national and internationally recognized requirements
and standards, including the International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSC),
Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), or equivalent. Any means of written
communication should be in an easily understood language and be readily
available to exposed workers and first-aid personnel.
 Training workers in the use of the available information (such as MSDSs),
safe work practices, and appropriate use of PPE.
Fire and Explosions
Fires and or explosions resulting from ignition of flammable materials or gases can
lead to loss of property as well as possible injury or fatalities to project workers.
Prevention and control strategies include:
 Storing flammables away from ignition sources and oxidizing materials.
Further, flammables storage area should be:
o Remote from entry and exit points into buildings
o Away from facility ventilation intakes or vents
o Have natural or passive floor and ceiling level ventilation and
explosion venting
o Use spark-proof fixtures
o Be equipped with fire extinguishing devices and self-closing
o doors, and constructed of materials made to
o withstand flame impingement for a moderate period of time
 Providing bonding and grounding of, and between, containers and additional
mechanical floor level ventilation if materials are being, or could be, dispensed
in the storage area.
 Where the flammable material is mainly comprised of dust, providing electrical
grounding, spark detection, and, if needed, quenching systems Defining and
labeling fire hazards areas to warn of special rules (e.g. prohibition in use of
smoking materials, cellular phones, or other potential spark generating
equipment).
 Providing specific worker training in handling of flammable materials, and in
fire prevention or suppression.
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2.5 Biological Hazards
Biological agents represent potential for illness or injury due to single acute exposure
or chronic repetitive exposure. Biological hazards can be prevented most effectively
by implementing the following measures:
 If the nature of the activity permits, use of any harmful biological agents
should be avoided and replaced with an agent that, under normal conditions
of use, is not dangerous or less dangerous to workers. If use of harmful
agents cannot be avoided, precautions should be taken to keep the risk of
exposure as low as possible and maintained below internationally established
and recognized exposure limits.
 Work processes, engineering, and administrative controls should be
designed, maintained, and operated to avoid or minimize release of biological
agents into the working environment. The number of employees exposed or
likely to become exposed should be kept at a minimum. The employer should
review and assess known and suspected presence of biological agents at the
place of work and implement appropriate safety measures, monitoring,
training, and training verification programs.
 Measures to eliminate and control hazards from known and suspected
biological agents at the place of work should be designed, implemented and
maintained in close co-operation with the local health authorities and
according to recognized international standards.
Biological agents should be classified into four groups.
 Group 1: Biological agents unlikely to cause human disease, and
consequently only require controls similar to those required for hazardous or
reactive chemical substances;
 Group 2: Biological agents that can cause human disease and are thereby
likely to require additional controls, but are unlikely to spread to the
community;
 Group 3: Biological agents that can cause severe human disease, present a
serious hazard to workers, and may present a risk of spreading to the
community, for which there usually is effective prophylaxis or treatment
available and are thereby likely to require extensive additional controls;
 Group 4: Biological agents that can cause severe human disease, are a
serious hazard to workers, and present a high risk of spreading to the
community, for which there is usually no effective prophylaxis or treatment
available and are thereby likely to require very extensive additional controls.
The employer should at all times encourage and enforce the highest level of hygiene
and personal protection, especially for activities employing biological agents of
Groups 3 and 4 above. Work involving agents in Groups 3 and 4 should be restricted
only to those persons who have received specific verifiable training in working with
and controlling such materials.
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Areas used for the handling of Groups 3 and 4 biological agents should be designed
to enable their full segregation and isolation in emergency circumstances, include
independent ventilation systems, and be subject to SOPs requiring routine
disinfection and sterilization of the work surfaces.
HVAC systems serving areas handling Groups 3 and 4 biological agents should be
equipped with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration systems. Equipment
should readily enable their disinfection and sterilization, and maintained and
operated so as to prevent growth and spreading of disease agents, amplification of
the biological agents, or breeding of vectors e.g. mosquitoes and flies of public
health concern.
2.7 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) provides additional protection to workers
exposed to workplace hazards in conjunction with other facility controls and safety
systems. PPE is considered to be a last resort that is above and beyond the other
facility controls and provides the worker with an extra level of personal protection.
Recommended measures for use of PPE in the workplace include:
 Active use of PPE if alternative technologies, work plans or procedures
cannot eliminate, or sufficiently reduce, a hazard or exposure.
 Identification and provision of appropriate PPE that offers adequate protection
to the worker, co-workers, and occasional visitors, without incurring
unnecessary inconvenience to the individual.
 Proper maintenance of PPE, including cleaning when dirty and replacement
when damaged or worn out. Proper use of PPE should be part of the
recurrent training programs for employees.
 Selection of PPE should be based on the hazard and risk ranking described
earlier in this section, and selected according to criteria on performance and
testing established by recognized organizations.
2.8 Special Hazard Environments
Special hazard environments are work situations where all of the previously
described hazards may exist under unique or especially hazardous circumstances.
Accordingly, extra precautions or rigor in application of precautions is required.
Confined Space
A confined space is defined as a wholly or partially enclosed space not designed or
intended for human occupancy and in which a hazardous atmosphere could develop
as a result of the contents, location or construction of the confined space or due to
work done in or around the confined space. A “permit-required” confined space is
one that also contains physical or atmospheric hazards that could trap or engulf the
person. Confined spaces can occur in enclosed or open structures or locations.
Serious injury or fatality can result from inadequate preparation to enter a confined
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space or in attempting a rescue from a confined space. Recommended management
approaches include:
 Engineering measures should be implemented to eliminate, to the degree
feasible, the existence and adverse character of confined spaces.
 Permit-required confined spaces should be provided with permanent safety
measures for venting, monitoring, and rescue operations, to the extent
possible. The area adjoining an access to a confined space should provide
ample room for emergency and rescue operations.
 Access hatches should accommodate 90% of the worker population with
adjustments for tools and protective clothing. The most current ISO and EN
standards should be consulted for design specifications.
 Prior to entry into a permit-required confined space:
o Process or feed lines into the space should be disconnected or
drained, and blanked and locked-out.
o Mechanical equipment in the space should be disconnected, de-
energized, locked-out, and braced, as Appropriate.
o The atmosphere within the confined space should be tested to
assure the oxygen content is between 19.5 percent and 23 percent,
and that the presence of any flammable gas or vapor does not
exceed 25 percent of its respective Lower Explosive Limit (LEL).
o If the atmospheric conditions are not met, the confined space should
be ventilated until the target safe atmosphere is achieved, or entry is
only to be undertaken with appropriate and additional PPE.
 Safety precautions should include Self Contained Breathing Apparatus
(SCBA), life lines, and safety watch workers stationed outside the confined
space, with rescue and first aid equipment readily available.
 Before workers are required to enter a permit-required confined space,
adequate and appropriate training in confined space hazard control,
atmospheric testing, use of the necessary PPE, as well as the serviceability
and integrity of the PPE should be verified. Further, adequate and appropriate
rescue and / or recovery plans and equipment should be in place before the
worker enters the confined space.
Lone and Isolated Workers
A lone and isolated worker is a worker out of verbal and line of sight communication
with a supervisor, other workers, or other persons capable of providing aid and
assistance, for continuous periods exceeding one hour. The worker is therefore at
increased risk should an accident or injury occur.
 Where workers may be required to perform work under lone or isolated
circumstances, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) should be developed
and implemented to ensure all PPE and safety measures are in place before
the worker starts work. SOPs should establish, at a minimum, verbal contact
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with the worker at least once every hour, and ensure the worker has a
capability for summoning emergency aid.
 If the worker is potentially exposed to highly toxic or corrosive chemicals,
emergency eye-wash and shower facilities should be equipped with audible
and visible alarms to summon aid whenever the eye-wash or shower is
activated by the worker and without intervention by the worker.
2.9 Monitoring
Occupational health and safety monitoring programs should verify the effectiveness
of prevention and control strategies. The selected indicators should be
representative of the most significant occupational, health, and safety hazards, and
the implementation of prevention and control strategies. The occupational health and
safety monitoring program should include:
 Safety inspection, testing and calibration: This should include regular
inspection and testing of all safety features and hazard control measures
focusing on engineering and personal protective features, work procedures,
places of work, installations, equipment, and tools used. The inspection
should verify that issued PPE continues to provide adequate protection and is
being worn as required. All instruments installed or used for monitoring and
recording of working environment parameters should be regularly tested and
calibrated, and the respective records maintained.
 Surveillance of the working environment: Employers should document
compliance using an appropriate combination of portable and stationary
sampling and monitoring instruments. Monitoring and analyses should be
conducted according to internationally recognized methods and standards.
Monitoring methodology, locations, frequencies, and parameters should be
established individually for each project following a review of the hazards.
Generally, monitoring should be performed during commissioning of facilities
or equipment and at the end of the defect and liability period, and otherwise
repeated according to the monitoring plan.
 Surveillance of workers health: When extraordinary protective measures are
required (for example, against biological agents Groups 3 and 4, and/or
hazardous compounds), workers should be provided appropriate and relevant
health surveillance prior to first exposure, and at regular intervals thereafter.
The surveillance should, if deemed necessary, be continued after termination
of the employment.
 Training: Training activities for employees and visitors should be adequately
monitored and documented (curriculum, duration, and participants).
Emergency exercises, including fire drills, should be documented adequately.
Service providers and contractors should be contractually required to submit
to the employer adequate training documentation before start of their
assignment.
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Accidents and Diseases monitoring
 The employer should establish procedures and systems for reporting and
recording:
o Occupational accidents and diseases
o Dangerous occurrences and incidents
These systems should enable workers to report immediately to their immediate
supervisor any situation they believe presents a serious danger to life or health.
 The systems and the employer should further enable and encourage workers
to report to management all:
o Occupational injuries and near misses
o Suspected cases of occupational disease
o Dangerous occurrences and incidents
 All reported occupational accidents, occupational diseases dangerous
occurrences, and incidents together with near misses should be investigated
with the assistance of a person knowledgeable/competent in occupational
safety. The investigation should:
o Establish what happened
o Determine the cause of what happened
o Identify measures necessary to prevent a recurrence
 Occupational accidents and diseases should, at a minimum, be classified
according to the below Table. Distinction is made between fatal and non-fatal
injuries. The two main categories are divided into three sub-categories
according to time of death or duration of the incapacity to work. The total work
hours during the specified reporting period should be reported to the
appropriate regulatory agency.
Table: Occupational Accident Reporting
a. Fatalities (number) b. Non-fatal injuries c. Total time lost non-
(number) fatal injuries (days)
a.1 Immediate b.1 Less than one day
a.2 Within a month b.2 Up to 3 days c.1 Category b.2
a.3 Within a year b.3 More than 3 days c.2 Category b.3
4.0 CONSTRUCTION AND DECOMMISSIONING
4.2 Occupational Health and Safety
Over-exertion
Over-exertion, and ergonomic injuries and illnesses, such as repetitive motion, over-
exertion, and manual handling, are among the most common causes of injuries in
construction and decommissioning sites. Recommendations for their prevention and
control include:
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 Training of workers in lifting and materials handling techniques in construction
and decommissioning projects, including the placement of weight limits above
which mechanical assists or two-person lifts are necessary.
 Planning work site layout to minimize the need for manual transfer of heavy
loads.
 Selecting tools and designing work stations that reduce force requirements
and holding times, and which promote improved postures, including, where
applicable, user adjustable work stations.
 Implementing administrative controls into work processes, such as job
rotations and rest or stretch breaks.
Work in Heights
Falls from elevation associated with working with ladders, scaffolding, and partially
built or demolished structures are among the most common cause of fatal or
permanent disabling injury at construction or decommissioning sites. If fall hazards
exist, a fall protection plan should be in place which includes one or more of the
following aspects, depending on the nature of the fall hazard:
 Training and use of temporary fall prevention devices, such as rails or other
barriers able to support a weight of 200 pounds, when working at heights
equal or greater than two meters or at any height if the risk includes falling
into operating machinery, into water or other liquid, into hazardous
substances, or through an opening in a work surface.
 Training and use of personal fall arrest systems, such as full body harnesses
and energy absorbing lanyards able to support 5000 pounds (also described
in this section in Working at Heights above), as well as fall rescue procedures
to deal with workers whose fall has been successfully arrested. The tie in
point of the fall arresting system should also be able to support 5000 pounds.
 Use of control zones and safety monitoring systems to warn workers of their
proximity to fall hazard zones, as well as securing, marking, and labeling
covers for openings in floors, roofs, or walking surfaces.
Struck By Objects
Construction and demolition activities may pose significant hazards related to the
potential fall of materials or tools, as well as ejection of solid particles from abrasive
or other types of power tools which can result in injury to the head, eyes, and
extremities. Techniques for the prevention and control of these hazards include:
 Using a designated and restricted waste drop or discharge zones, and/or a
chute for safe movement of wastes from upper to lower levels.
 Conducting sawing, cutting, grinding, sanding, chipping or chiseling with
proper guards and anchoring as applicable.
 Maintaining clear traffic ways to avoid driving of heavy equipment over loose
scrap.
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 Use of temporary fall protection measures in scaffolds and out edges of
elevated work surfaces, such as hand rails and toe boards to prevent
materials from being dislodged.
 Evacuating work areas during blasting operations, and using blast mats or
other means of deflection to minimize fly rock or ejection of demolition debris
if work is conducted in proximity to people or structures.
 Wearing appropriate PPE, such as safety glasses with side shields, face
shields, hard hats, and safety shoes.
Moving Machinery
Vehicle traffic and use of lifting equipment in the movement of machinery and
materials on a construction site may pose temporary hazards, such as physical
contact, spills, dust, emissions, and noise. Heavy equipment operators have limited
fields of view close to their equipment and may not see pedestrians close to the
vehicle. Center-articulated vehicles create a significant impact or crush hazard zone
on the outboard side of a turn while moving. Techniques for the prevention and
control of these impacts include:
 Planning and segregating the location of vehicle traffic, machine operation,
and walking areas, and controlling vehicle traffic through the use of one-way
traffic routes, establishment of speed limits, and on-site trained flag-people
wearing high-visibility vests or outer clothing covering to direct traffic.
 Ensuring the visibility of personnel through their use of high visibility vests
when working in or walking through heavy equipment operating areas, and
training of workers to verify eye contact with equipment operators before
approaching the operating vehicle.
 Ensuring moving equipment is outfitted with audible back-up alarms.
 Using inspected and well-maintained lifting devices that are appropriate for
the load, such as cranes, and securing loads when lifting them to higher job-
site elevations.
Confined Spaces and Excavations
Examples of confined spaces that may be present in construction or demolition sites
include: silos, vats, hoppers, utility vaults, tanks, sewers, pipes, and access shafts.
Ditches and trenches may also be considered a confined space when access or
egress is limited. The occupational hazards associated with confined spaces and
excavations in construction and decommissioning sites should be prevented
according to the following recommendations:
 Controlling site-specific factors which may contribute to excavation slope
instability including, for example, the use of excavation dewatering, side-walls
support, and slope gradient adjustments that eliminate or minimize the risk of
collapse, entrapment, or drowning.
 Providing safe means of access and egress from excavations, such as graded
slopes, graded access route, or stairs and ladders.
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 Avoiding the operation of combustion equipment for prolonged periods inside
excavations areas where other workers are required to enter unless the area
is actively ventilated.
Other Site Hazards
Construction and decommissioning sites may pose a risk of exposure to dust,
chemicals, hazardous or flammable materials, and wastes in a combination of liquid,
solid, or gaseous forms, which should be prevented through the implementation of
project specific plans and other applicable management practices, including:
 Use of specially trained personnel to identify and remove waste materials
from tanks, vessels, processing equipment or contaminated land as a first
step in decommissioning activities to allow for safe excavation, construction,
dismantling or demolition.
 Use of specially trained personnel to identify and selectively remove
potentially hazardous materials in building elements prior to dismantling or
demolition including, for example, insulation or structural elements containing
asbestos and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), electrical components
containing mercury.
 Use of waste-specific PPE based on the results of an occupational health and
safety assessment, including respirators, clothing/protective suits, gloves and
eye protection.
ESIC-NTDC
Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) for Dasu-Islamabad TL Project REFERENCES
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Hydropower Project, Palas Valley - Spatgah Hydropower Consultants (PSHC) for
WAPDA.
 DHC, 2013: Environmental Impact Assessment of Dasu Hydropower Project,
Volume 2. Consultancy Services for Preparation and Implementation of Dasu
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Venture of: NK and DOLSAR in association with DMC, NDC & PES for WAPDA.
 World Bank, 1999: Operational Policies: Environmental Assessment. WB OP
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 J. Sayer, 2003: Palas Conservation and Development Project (PCDP), Prospects
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 Iberdrola Renewables’ Avian and Bat Protection Plan, October, 2008.
 Power Lines – Myths vs. Facts, High Voltage Power Lines & Birds, prepared by
RETA, 2009. www.reta.ca.
 CAF Action Plan, 2005: Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of
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ESIC-NTDC